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
MasterChef Champion Dan Merriman partners with Faru for exclusive three-night tasting menu in Durham
4 Jun 2025
Food lovers in the North East are in for a treat! From Thursday 12th June to Saturday 14th June, MasterChef: The Professionals 2024 winner Dan Merriman will join Jake Siddle, head chef and co-founder of Faru, for a limited, collaborative tasting menu at the acclaimed fine dining restaurant in Durham. Since opening its doors in […]
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Top TV chef to headline Seaham Food Festival
29 May 2025
TV presenter, chef and culinary author John Torode MBE has been announced as the headline chef at this year’s Seaham Food Festival. The Durham County Council-run festival will be back on Seaham’s coastline on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August, offering a weekend full of tasty treats from the region’s traders, family-friendly entertainment and inspiring […]
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Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa opens the barn door
27 May 2025
A summer events space at one of the North East’s top hotels has been given a stylish upgrade. Every year Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa near Durham erects a marquee which is used from May to September for weddings. But this time round the award-winning hotel has upped its game – by creating a […]
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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
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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Exciting new Story launched for Durham
An exciting new approach to promoting the county was unveiled yesterday (18 March), with over 80 stakeholders attending the launch of the ‘Durham story’. The event, hosted by Durham County Council and Durham University at Gala Durham, was the culmination of a 12-month project which has seen engagement with hundreds of stakeholders from across the […]
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New collaboration seeks to attract French visitors to North East England
Newcastle Airport and destination development partnership, Destination North East England have collaborated with Expedia Group on a new campaign targeting visitors from France. Capitalising on the new easyJet route between Paris and Newcastle, the digital campaign aims to drive flight bookings, and overnight stays by highlighting the unique experiences visitors can take advantage of when […]
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VCD Blog - Progress and pace continues as we look forward with optimism
As 2025 is now in full swing it feels great to be looking ahead with excitement and optimism.
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