Northumberland's record-breaking visitor economy celebrated during English Tourism Week

Visit Northumberland has helped showcase the county’s record-breaking visitor economy growth, business development opportunities, major investment projects, and commitment to regenerative tourism.

The county scooped seven golds in the North East England Tourism Awards, while hundreds of people attended the Northumberland Tourism Fair in Alnwick.

Andrew Fox, chair of Visit Northumberland said: “Northumberland’s visitor economy is a major economic contributor, vital for employment and our regenerative approach provides a pillar for sustainable growth that benefits the residents and their communities that serve visitors to our destination."

The county welcomed over 10 million visitors in 2023 with the tourism sector contributing a record £1.262 billion to the local economy, marking a 7.9% increase from the previous year. As the second-largest employment sector in Northumberland, tourism supports over 14,600 jobs.

Visit Northumberland’s marketing efforts continue to elevate the region’s profile. International campaigns are currently in delivery in the USA, Germany, France and the Netherlands, while international outreach in partnership with VisitBritain and other regional partners has seen over 100 travel buyers and journalists visit the county.

In 2024, the visitnorthumberland.com website attracted over 1.6 million new users.

Cllr Jeff Watson, cabinet member for healthy lives with responsibility for tourism at Northumberland County Council, said: “We remain committed to growing a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive visitor economy with regeneration, investment, and cultural innovation the key drivers of our ambitions.

"When combined with our rich heritage, breathtaking landscape and welcoming people, these elements forge an environment of entrepreneurial spirit that creates the economic, social, and environmental benefits that tourism brings.”