Workshops held to help boost tourism businesses in Northumberland
Tourism businesses across Northumberland came together to celebrate English Tourism Week with a series of specialist workshops designed to boost skills, enhance marketing strategies, and drive business growth.
Hosted by Northumberland Small Business Service (NSBS) in collaboration with Visit Northumberland, the week-long event saw up to 40 businesses participate across four expert-led workshops, each tailored to the needs of the region’s tourism sector.
The workshops took place mainly online, with a photography workshop led by RJM Photography, taking place at The Sill, near Hexham.
Participants were shown how to capture high-quality images on their smart phones to showcase their businesses and Northumberland’s stunning landscapes to enhance their marketing.
Other business boosting workshops were led by industry experts Steven Parker - Phonetic Digital and Scott Goodacre – Scott Digital and covered topics, Tackling Technical SEO for Small Businesses, Achieving Marketing Actualisation Using Artificial Intelligence and Developing Your Marketing Strategy.
Andrew Fox, chair of Visit Northumberland, said: “It was fantastic to see so many tourism businesses come together to learn and collaborate. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with businesses leaving the sessions feeling more confident and equipped with new strategies to grow their visitor base by improving their visitor experience.”
A key highlight of the week was the interactive approach, allowing businesses to apply new skills in real-time and receive expert feedback.
Lucy Evermore, programme manager for NSBS said: “Tourism is at the heart of Northumberland’s economy, and initiatives like this help businesses stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market. We’re delighted with the turnout and look forward to continuing to support more businesses in the future.”
NSBS is delivered by Northumberland County Council. The project is part funded by the North East Combined Authority and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund, with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority.
NSBS also offers assistance to micro-small sized businesses across Northumberland. Eligible businesses can still access a Rural Capital Grant Investment Fund, which supports rural businesses with clear growth plans by providing capital investment to expand production capacity or diversify into new markets or products. Email [email protected]