Tourism drive is launched
COUNCIL TO LAUNCH TOURISM DRIVE AMID PANDEMIC
EFFORTS to bring back the £1bn Northumberland tourism economy will see a high-profile drive to sell the county as more tourists choose to stay in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.
Northumberland County Council has begun a national search for a director of visitor economy and is launching a new Visit Northumberland website to increase support for what is a major part of the country’s economy.
The tourism sector has been one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus lockdown, but problems surrounding travel overseas have provided an opportunity for ‘staycation’ businesses in the UK.
The council has worked with award-winning Newcastle digital agency Drummond Central to create the new visitor website, which aims to attract some of the tourists who would not previously have considered holidays in Northumberland, especially families and young people.
Northumberland’s tourism economy has grown in recent years but research suggests that the county suffers from perceptions of poor weather, remoteness and lack of activities.
The new website – which will be launched in the autumn, with tourism businesses asked to submit information to it from this month – aims to counter some of those perceptions by showcasing not just Northumberland’s wellknown beaches and castles, but also its luxury hotels and highend restaurants, its leading cycling and astronomy facilities and activities for young people.
County council leader Peter Jackson said: “We know of course, that a new brand and website alone won’t fix the tourism sector – it’s part of the solution. This is part of a package of measures available to support the tourism sector’s recovery.
“We are excited and ambitious for the future, and we need somebody at the helm, to take our tourism offer to the next level.
“So I’m delighted to announce that we will be recruiting a director of visitor economy – a dynamic leader to spearhead our road to recovery, and which heralds a new era for tourism in Northumberland. Our recruitment campaign will get under way in the coming weeks, and we hope to have someone in post to lead the charge this year.”
UK tourism bosses are expecting around two-thirds of tourism spending from foreign visitors, and nearly half of domestic revenue, to be wiped out this year, with the sector not recovering fully until as late as 2024.
But Northumberland has made tourism a central part of its plan to revive the economy from the coronavirus lockdown, saying that it supports more than 13,000 jobs and spending of more than £1bn each year.
The new strategy has been backed by national tourism bodies including Visit Britain, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and the Tourism Alliance.
VisitBritain director Patricia Yates said: “It is fantastic to see this collaboration across the industry in Northumberland to get tourism back on its feet, and the digital innovation and product development to support businesses drive both domestic and international bookings, attracting future visitors and boosting the economy.”