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
21.56m
(Visitors Annually)
Over 6m
(75 Attractions)
8%
(Overnight Stays)
13,795
(Jobs Within the Industry)
£1.38bn
(Annual Income)
Latest news
North East England invites travellers to visit… If they dare!
19 Jun 2025
Britain’s national tourism agency VisitBritain and Destination North East England have teamed up with 28 Years Later to invite visitors to discover some of the stunning locations featured in the highly anticipated film as part of a multi-channel co-promotional campaign. VisitBritain and Destination North East England, of which Visit County Durham is a partner, are excited […]
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Durham business amongst UK's top Regional Stars named in inaugural campaign
18 Jun 2025
Britain’s food heritage is in the spotlight thanks to Speciality Food Magazine and Speciality & Fine Food Fair’s Regional Stars initiative: a project designed to uncover the businesses most passionate about sharing an authentic taste of their region with food lovers far and wide. 25 small-scale businesses were hand-picked from rafts of entries to share […]
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The Story celebrates successful first chapter
16 Jun 2025
A County Durham culture, heritage and registration venue is celebrating its first anniversary this week, and what a year it has been. From fascinating exhibitions, historic talks, interactive workshops and a specular illuminated trail, to conducting hundreds of fairytale weddings and registering more than 2,000 births – The Story has been a hive of activity […]
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Broom House Farm
Broom House Farm is an organic farm situated high above the Browney River Valley and overlooking Durham City. We breed our own Aberdeen Angus beef, lamb, mutton and Saddleback pork. The butchery displays in our farm shop showcase these products, properly hung and skilfully presented by our master butchery team. People travel miles to get […]
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McColl's Brewery
Established back in 2016 by Daniel and Gemma McColl, McColl's Brewery was created to bring their North East warmth, a love of easy drinking beers and their passion for open and welcoming hospitality to being. To be involved in all aspects of a product, from its creation right through to its dispense and see the […]
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Watts Up Consulting
Watts Up Consulting is a Durham-based energy company, dedicated to helping local businesses to manage their utility costs, while also giving back to the local community. We offer free, no-obligation utility bill checks to identify hidden charges and secure better deals on gas, electric, water and more. What sets us apart is our commitment to […]
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East Durham College
At East Durham College we provide an entire suite of services aimed at improving the quality of your workforce and helping your company to function better. And the great news for your business is that we can access funds directly to reduce your training costs. Education and training, as you would expect, lie at the […]
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Visit County Durham latest
VCD Blog - The Durham Story
The focus of my latest blog is The Durham Story, the launch of Durham’s new place brand. It is an exciting new approach to promoting the county that was recently unveiled to over 80 stakeholders at a launch event at Gala Durham. The event, hosted by Durham County Council and Durham University, was the culmination […]
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Partnership ensures cricket fans are bowled over by Durham
Visit County Durham has once again teamed up with The Barmy Army to showcase Durham as a holiday destination to cricket fans. Continuing the successful partnership which began during the Cricket World Cup in 2019, Visit County Durham is delighted to be working with the England cricket team’s supporter club to maximise the benefit to […]
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Durham shortlisted for national award
Durham has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Group Leisure & Travel Awards 2025. The county has been nominated by readers of Group Leisure and Travel magazine and is now in the running to be voted Best UK Destination.
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Durham promoted through National Walking Month
The annual National Walking Month initiative takes place every May and encourages people to walk more to promote the physical and mental health benefits, and provides destinations with a platform to promote their walking offer. This year’s National Walking Month followed the recent 60th anniversary of the Pennine Way, which saw Visit County Durham partnering with […]
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