The contribution of the tourism sector to the County Durham economy has topped £1bn for the first time.
New figures show that 17.9m people visited the county last year, spending £1.04bn. The visitor numbers are more than 25% up on the year but also higher than pre-pandemic numbers.
The increase in tourism numbers has also been reflected in a growing number of people employed in tourism, which went from just over 10,000 in 2021 to 11,724 last year.
Read more: West Midlands tourism economy enjoys post-Covid boost
The data, which comes from the tourism industry’s independent STEAM economic impact model, showed that only 9% of visitors to Durham in 2022 stayed overnight, but this group accounted for 48% of the money spent in the county. The average day visitor spent just under £25 in the county, but the average staying visitor spent about £231.
Duncan Peake, interim chair of tourism body Visit County Durham and chief executive of Raby Estates, said: “These results demonstrate how Durham’s visitor economy has not only survived the challenges of the last few years, but has emerged stronger and more dynamic.
“As a county, we were projected to hit the £1bn milestone in 2020 but for obvious reasons this did not happen. The fact we are where we are today is testament to the sheer determination of tourism businesses, large and small, and the commitment of Visit County Durham, the wider council and private sector organisations to ensure major developments remained on track and new opportunities were seized.
“There are still challenges to overcome and work to be done, particularly around creating more accommodation to allow us to increase overnight stays. However, these results show Durham’s visitor economy has bounced back from the pandemic and the future is looking bright.”
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Visit County Durham is working with Visit Northumberland and the NewcastleGateshead Initiative to develop the region’s tourism industry after being chosen by the Government to become the first Local Visitor Economy Partnership. The scheme aims to unlock untapped potential in the North East’s tourism sector, attract new visitors and create more jobs in the sector.
Coun Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said; “Hitting the £1bn milestone is a fantastic achievement for all businesses that contribute to Durham’s visitor economy and the thousands of individual staff and volunteers working across the sector.
“Tourism is a key part of Durham’s Inclusive Economic Strategy. This is because we recognise the positive difference it makes both in terms of creating jobs and prosperity and in enhancing the vibrancy of our communities through investment in new products and experiences
“Take a look across Durham right now and you can see this in action. Multimillion-pound developments are under way at our visitor accommodation, from hotels to glamping pods, and at attractions including Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, Locomotion, Raby Castle and The Auckland Project. And with many more projects in the pipeline, it really is an exciting time for Durham.”