County seeks new tourism chief

The local authority is currently recruiting for a new full-time post – head of tourism and leisure strategy, which will attract a salary of around £60,000.

The council is looking for ‘the right person to deliver its ambitious programme of leisure and tourism projects, working with partners across the county to help shape the future of Northumberland’.

A promotional video for the role on social media asks: ‘Could you help to promote Northumberland as a great place to live, work and enjoy?’

It highlights that tourism and leisure play a pivotal role in the county, contributing £850million to the local economy and employing 14,000 people.

The images on the video showcase the wide range of assets in the county, from attractions such as Alnwick Castle, Cragside, Hadrian’s Wall and Northumberlandia to Northumberland’s beautiful coastline, as well as past events, including the Tour of Britain cycle race.

This summer, the council has organised an eight-week programme of events to celebrate Northumberland while millions of extra visitors are in the region for the Great Exhibition of the North.

The Newcastle and Gateshead-based Great Exhibition is now under way, but Great Northumberland will hold its opening showcase in Hexham on Saturday, July 7, and a celebration of the county’s musical traditions will bring it to a close in Berwick on Saturday, September 1.

The job description for the new tourism boss explains that the council ‘has recently recalibrated its contribution and offer to lead and promote Northumberland as a place where residents and visitors can live, work and enjoy.

‘A key part of this strategy is ensuring that we have a strong focus on developing and leading the tourism and leisure strategy for the county.

‘The successful post-holder will play a pivotal role in fulfilling the council’s ambitions of developing its county strategy, ensuring that there is a strong focus on tourism and leisure across Northumberland.’

Ben O'Connell, Local Democracy Reporting Service