Visit County Durham
Visit County Durham (VCD) is the destination management organisation for County Durham and one of a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic, and high-performing accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships. We provide strong local leadership and governance, and are committed to the promotion, management, and development of County Durham as a great place to live, work, visit and do business.
Visit County Durham works in partnership locally, regionally, and nationally on shared priorities and targets. Our mission is to support and grow the visitor economy through robust destination management, strong stakeholder relationships and clear planning.
Our vision is to create the conditions for our residents, businesses, and the environment to benefit from sustainable growth in our visitor economy. By supporting and marketing our distinctive heritage, landscapes, culture and warm welcome, we will grow both day and overnight visits and make County Durham a compelling, global destination for tourism, culture, and business.
Destination performance
20.15m
(Visitors Annually)
6.5m
(75 Attractions)
8%
(Overnight Stays)
13,178
(Jobs Within the Industry)
£1.23bn
(Annual Income)
Latest news
Free After 3pm returns to County Durham this Christmas
11 Dec 2024
A North East council has announced it will once again offer free parking after 3pm in its car parks this festive season. Durham County Council’s Free After 3pm scheme will return on Monday 16 December and run through to Friday 3 January. The aim is to encourage people to shop on their local high streets […]
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Kynren celebrates a decade of spectacular shows!
9 Dec 2024
Following the success of its 2024 season, tickets are now on sale to experience Kynren – An Epic Tale of England in 2025. Bishop Auckland’s renowned live-action show is set to mark its 10th anniversary in 2025, with tickets now available for its milestone season. The County Durham spectacular is the UK’s biggest outdoor show performed […]
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Industrial artwork celebrates past and future of Durham cultural attraction
9 Dec 2024
An industrial artwork at the heart of the DLI Museum and Art Gallery will serve as a unique time capsule celebrating the venue’s past and future. Durham County Council has commissioned local blacksmith artist Graeme Hopper to emboss an inscription onto a steel plate, which will form part of the new structural framework of the […]
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Stroodles
Stroodles is an Eco Tableware company, famous for its pasta straws, featured on Dragons Den, BBC Good Food, Unilad, and many more. The Stroodles portfolio also includes edible biscuit spoons and stirrers, edible wafer cups, eco wheat bran plates, biscuit bowls and saucers. The Alchemist, de Longhi, Marriott, Hilton and Selfridges are already stroodling Stroodles […]
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Every Season Pest Control
Do you have a business or property in Durham that requires regular/ routine pest inspections? Do you put your pest contract out to tender every year or are you simply looking for a new, reliable pest control provider? Here at Every Season Pest Control we are a local, professional family run company with over 16 […]
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The Holiday Home Housekeeper
The Holiday Home Housekeeper provides holiday home and holiday cottage housekeeping services across North Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland. Our experienced team have been cleaning holiday homes for over ten years and we’re passionate about providing the very best service to our holiday homeowners and our guests. From crisp white linen and towels, to industry […]
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3D Virtual Spaces
Do you need a 3D Virtual Tour to market your business? 3D Virtual Spaces create multi-purpose, interactive digital solutions to promote your premises. 3D Virtual Spaces create bespoke 360 3D Virtual Tours to give you a business solution which will captivate your audience and promote your organisation. Our tours have endless applications ranging from marketing […]
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Visit County Durham latest
VCD Blog - Working towards a more sustainable future
As world leaders recently gathered in Baku for Cop29 it is a reminder of the ever-present threat of climate change and the need for us all to take action. According to the World Economic Forum a recent study puts the tourism industry's impact at 8% of global carbon emissions.
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Make your Next Stop Durham
UK holiday makers are being urged to explore the beauty of their own country before jetting off to other destinations. A new campaign is highlighting why Durham should be at the top of everyone’s must visit list. Its unique and diverse experiences and world-class attractions make it the perfect...
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Do Durham Differently Delivers Great Results
Research has shown that Do Durham Differently, Visit County Durham’s national destination marketing campaign, contributed an estimated £103m in visitor spend – over 8% of the county’s total annual economic impact. The campaign, which ran from autumn 2023 to spring 2024, was delivered in partnership with the tourism industry and featured high profile marketing activity […]
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Durham and Spain lead the way in walking route partnership
The partnership between Durham and north west Spain strengthened this week, as representatives from A Coruña Provincial Council visited the county. The region-to-region partnership, which has been in place for several years, aims to promote the English Way, or Camino Ingles, pilgrimage route and the Northern Saints Trails. Highlighting the connections between County Durham and […]
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