Tourism organisations in the North East have launched a campaign to get people to visit local attractions after a devastating summer that has seen huge declines in incomes.
The Save Your Summer initiative has won financial backing from the Government with the aim of getting people to explore local destinations and have a mini-break closer to home.
Estimates suggest that the region’s £4bn tourism industry has effectively lost around half of its income over the key summer period, with as many as 10,000 tourism-related jobs lost in Newcastle and Gateshead alone.
A new advertising campaign will encourage people to consider tourist destinations within a two-hour drive from the North East.
Visuals for the campaign have been devised by Newcastle agency Drummond Central, highlighting experiences on offer in the region, including sports, heritage attractions, walking tours, restaurants and accommodation.
Coun Ged Bell, cabinet member for employment and culture at Newcastle City Council, said: “The campaign is a welcome boost to our collective efforts towards reviving the tourism sector here in the North East – it has been so badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
“While consumer confidence in travel abroad is at an all-time low, it makes sense that people will want to explore places closer to home more than ever. A recent survey suggested that around a third of people would feel confident in taking a 海角视频 break in September, and we hope that by inviting these visitors to ‘save their summer’ with a safe and sustainable trip to North East England, we can salvage the summer holiday experience for so many.”
Northumberland County Council leader Peter Jackson, said: “I think sometimes we take for granted what we have here on our doorstep, when in fact we should be incredibly proud.
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“We’re renowned for our history, culture, industry, ingenuity and innovation, also for our beautiful countryside and coast. This is a unique and special place.
“We can save our summer by holidaying closer to home. Support in the coming month for our local businesses, towns, villages, and city will help us bounce back strongly from COVID-19, which is our top priority.”
A number of campaigns have been launched over the summer in a bid to support struggling tourism businesses.
Northumberland County Council has begun a national search for a director of visitor economy and is launching a new Visit Northumberland website, while Visit County Durham has launched a marketing campaign that promotes Durham as being ‘Worth the Wait’.
Meanwhile, a separate campaign has been launched today to support the recovery of the business events industry.
Organised by NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, #ItsTyneToMeetAgain has won support from Newcastle and Northumbria universities, Newcastle United football club, LNER and Newcastle Castle. Paul Szomoru, director of business events at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, said: “Like much of the tourism economy, business events have been completely decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. Now that the industry has been given the green light for October, it’s imperative we work together to build confidence with event organisers, to show them that venues and support service providers in NewcastleGateshead and North East England are ready to welcome them back and to host brilliant events in a safe environment.”
VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes said: “Millions of jobs and local economies depend on tourism right across the country and the industry needs all of us to make sure it gets back on its feet.
“This funding will encourage more of us to get out and discover the outstanding destinations and quality attractions close to home, right here on our doorstep. It will also support local businesses who have been working so hard to welcome visitors back safely, adapting and innovating to meet new ways of working and still providing a great visitor experience.”