Latest tourism figures show a major boost for Durham’s economy as the county builds on its bumper £1bn milestone achieved in 2022, with new attractions playing a key role in helping the county reach a new record.
Visit County Durham, the county’s Destination Management Organisation and Durham County Council’s tourism service, has welcomed the results which show visitor expenditure rose by 18.8% in 2023, with the value of the county’s visitor economy hitting £1.23bn. Overall, 20.15 million people visited the county last year, an increase of 12.5%. The number of people employed in tourism has also grown, up by 12.4% to 13,178. It is welcome news as visitor numbers and employment have now exceeded pre-pandemic figures for the first time*.
New attractions including the Spanish Gallery and Faith Museum, part of The Auckland Project, and further additions to the 1950s Town at Beamish Museum, have been instrumental in the county’s success, and with even more significant developments opening this year, the future looks bright for the county’s visitor economy.
