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Press Releases

Read our latest news updates and releases for the tourism industry.

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Format: 29-12-2023

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Format: 30-12-2023

Raby Castle volunteer crowned Durham Tourism Superstar 2025

2 Jul 2025

A loyal member of one of County Durham’s star attractions has been crowned Durham Tourism Superstar 2025. 86-year-old Jimmy Nicol has been a volunteer at Raby Castle since 2018 and works as a Room Steward, meeting and greeting visitors and sharing his vast knowledge about the Castle. He was...

Bumper investment drives continued growth for Durham’s visitor economy

11 Jun 2025

Latest tourism figures show a major boost for Durham’s visitor economy as the county sees overall visitor expenditure rise to a record £1.38billion, with the number of day visitors now 7.6% higher than pre pandemic figures, and overnight visitors also rising by 1.8%. Visit County Durham, the...

Make your Next Stop Durham

29 Nov 2024

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...

Looking to the future: AI and data information takes centre stage at Visit County Durham's annual conference

8 Nov 2024

Looking to the future with knowledge and some help from modern technology was the theme of this year’s Visit County Durham annual conference which took place on Wednesday 6 November. Representatives from visitor economy businesses across the county attended the event at The Manor House Hotel in...

Visit County Durham announces new Chair

18 Sep 2024

Visit County Durham Ltd has announced the formal appointment of its new Chair. Duncan Peake from Raby Estates will take on the role having held the post of Interim Chair since last June. Duncan has been on the board of directors at Visit County Durham for six years. As an experienced...

Durham City is officially 'Coach Friendly'

14 Aug 2024

Durham City has been awarded the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s ‘Coach Friendly’ accreditation, in recognition of the city’s commitment to coach tourism. The award was presented to Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships. Durham...

North East tourism campaign is a hit stateside

23 Jul 2024

The North East’s incredible icons, exciting adventures and distinctive food and drink have been showcased in the US as part of a campaign in partnership with national tourism agency VisitBritain, aimed at growing inbound visits to the region. Destination management organisation Visit County...

Kynren volunteer crowned Durham Tourism Superstar 2024

17 Jul 2024

A key member of one of Durham’s star attractions has been crowned Durham Tourism Superstar 2024. Wendy Wilshere, Head of Casting and Engagement at 11 Arches - the organisation behind Kynren, secured the most public votes in the annual competition, which is organised by Visit County Durham, Durham...

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

12 Jul 2024

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

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

22 May 2024

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 £1bn milestone achieved in 2022, with results showing expenditure rose by 18.8% in 2023, to £1.23bn.

Durham condiment makes regional return

5 Jan 2024

Mustard is once again being made in Durham – where it was first invented – and makers are looking to collaborate on the colourful condiment. Resurrecting mustard production in Durham was the brainchild of Visit County Durham, as part of its work to develop the county as a culinary destination...

Durham Visitor Information Network’s customer satisfaction score soars

13 Dec 2023

Durham’s Visitor Information Network has scored a 95 per cent customer satisfaction rate in a recent mystery shopping exercise. Each year, the mystery shopper exercise is carried out across the county’s Visitor Information Network, which sees partners delivering a visitor information...

Online Advent Calendar helps showcase Durham this Christmas

6 Dec 2023

The festive period is an important time of year for tourism businesses and Visit County Durham has launched a range of marketing opportunities to support partners and showcase the county. Now in its third year, the Durham Online Advent Calendar is back with exclusive competitions, prizes and...

Influencer collaboration boosts Do Durham Differently campaign

5 Dec 2023

Visit County Durham has joined forces with high profile travel influencers as part of its latest destination marketing campaign. Do Durham Differently aims to showcase the endless staycation possibilities that exist in Durham by highlighting the large variety of attractions, activities and places...

Lumiere media and influencer visits shine a light on Durham

22 Nov 2023

Journalists and social media influencers from across the UK and beyond descended on Durham last week as the UK’s light art biennial made its dazzling return. Visit County Durham worked in partnership with Lumiere producer Artichoke to deliver a group media visit and Instameet to showcase the...