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.

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Durham’s Visitor Economy Exceeds Β£1 Billion Milestone

Durham’s Visitor Economy Exceeds Β£1 Billion Milestone

Tourism contributed Β£1.23 billion to Durham’s economy, the latest industry research has revealed.

Just launched: National Marketing Campaign

Just launched: National Marketing Campaign

Our new campaign called 'Next Stop, Durham' aims to inspire those who have travelled through the county by rail or road, but never visited.

Join Us

From attractions and accommodation providers to places to eat, things to do and local suppliers, Visit County Durham Partnership brings benefits through promoting and developing any type or size of business.

Join Us

Filming Friendly Durham

Supporting production companies, filmmakers and photographers, make Durham your next destination.

Filming Friendly Durham
Online Image Library

Online Image Library

Durham Online Image Library

Find a Supplier

Find a Supplier

Visit County Durham work with a number of Supplier Partner’s who offer services which are directly relevant to tourism businesses.

Destination performance

Visitors
Visitors in Durham

20.15m

(Visitors Annually)

Visits to Attractions
Attractions in Durham

6.5m

(75 Attractions)

Staying Visitors
Accommodation in Durham

8%

(Overnight Stays)

Employment
Tourism employment in Durham

13,178

(Jobs Within the Industry)

Visitor Economy
Durhams Visitor economy

Β£1.23bn

(Annual Income)

Latest news

Bishop Auckland attraction earns ultimate tourism accolade

25 Oct 2024

The Auckland Project in County Durham has achieved the highest rating from VisitEngland in its β€˜Visitor Attraction Accolades for 2023-2024'.  The Bishop Auckland collection of attractions attained β€˜Gold’ after its Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment, which is awarded to places that go the extra mile and epitomise excellence. The Auckland Project includes Auckland Palace and Gardens, […]

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Framing fashion: Art and inspiration from a private collection of Vivienne Westwood is open at The Bowes Museum

25 Oct 2024

Experience a golden decade of design with only-to-be-seen-here clothing from the late designer set among never-before-shown Museum objects.This unique show features some of Westwood’s most recognisable creations from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, loaned to the Barnard Castle Museum by the private collector Peter Smithson. The display, in the fashion and textile gallery, explores the […]

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Dates announced for Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025

24 Oct 2024

Food fans are encouraged to save the date for the return of one of the region’s biggest food festivals. Durham County Council has confirmed Bishop Auckland Food Festival will return to the town on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April. Each year the two-day event attracts thousands of visitors for a jam-packed weekend full of […]

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Suppliers to industry

Climb & Conquer

Climb & Conquer

Climb & Conquer are a county Durham based specialist marketing agency, focusing on getting websites to the top of Google with SEO and creating profitable advertising with Google Ads management services. The company currently serves over 50 clients within and outside of the UK - covering a wide range of industries. The agency is a […]

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Mapp’s Mortgage & Insurance Ltd

Mapp’s Mortgage & Insurance Ltd

For 30 years, Mapps have been providing expert advice on mortgages, protection and insurance to both businesses and private clients across County Durham. Based in Crook, we are a family owned business headed up by brother and sister team Peter Mapp and Vivienne Page who combine friendly service with unrivalled industry knowledge to find you […]

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Durham Mustard

Durham Mustard

England’s first smooth dry mustard was developed by Mrs Clements of Durham in 1720 and while many people associate Norfolk with mustard, it was here in Durham where dry mustard powder was originally created. Inspired by this, Stephanie Celino, is hoping to breathe new life into this historic condiment and supply the region with Durham Mustard […]

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n-gage.io

n-gage.io

The all-in-one, cloud based attraction management software and audience mobile app, helping the global attraction, leisure & entertainment industry to enhance audience engagement, gain valuable insights & drive revenues. Built from the ground up for the experience economy, theΒ n-gage.ioΒ platform and mobile visitor app is helping attractions of all sizes and types to simplify their approach […]

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Visit County Durham latest

Durham and Spain lead the way in walking route partnership

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 CoruΓ±a 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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VCD Blog - A summer of success

VCD Blog - A summer of success

As the signs of autumn begin to show the Visit County Durham team is reflecting on a summer that has seen a number of successful activities take place, driving visitor numbers, supporting partners and raising the county’s profile in the UK and overseas. The team kicked off the summer with a trip to North Yorkshire […]

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Boost for Durham as new developments drive growth in the visitor economy

Boost for Durham as new developments drive growth in the visitor economy

Latest tourism figures show a major boost for Durham’s economy as the county builds on its bumper Β£1bn milestone achieved in 2022, with new attractions playing a key role in helping the county reach a new record.

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Latest tourism figures for Durham build on bumper Β£1bn milestone

Latest tourism figures for Durham build on bumper Β£1bn milestone

The latest STEAM* figures, which calculate the volume and value of the county’s visitor economy, show that Durham has continued to build on the bumper Β£1bn milestone achieved in 2022, with results showing expenditure rose by 18.8% in 2023, to Β£1.23bn. Overall, 20.15 million people visited the county, an increase of 12.5%. Durham also recorded […]

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