Chair of VisitEngland Lady Victoria Borwick recently took a whistlestop tour of the region’s top tourist spots as she checked in on progress and ambitions for region’s visitor economy.
Lady Victoria had the opportunity to experience our renowned UNESCO World Heritage sites, take in stunning coastal and countryside landscapes and learn more about the regions inclusive tourism offer, alongside Destination North East England’s approach to developing skills and unlocking opportunities across the visitor economy in the North East.
After a spot of retail therapy at Newcastle’s leading shopping destination Fenwick and a chance to sample the collaboration between the department store and North East icon Greggs, Lady Victoria met with Chi Onwurah MP, to discuss the pilot’s impact and ambitions, explore its role in fostering sustainability in the sector and its ability to influence the development of future pilots across the country.
They also spoke about the importance of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs). Destination North East England is home to three LVEPs, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Visit County Durham and Visit Northumberland, who all were the first three organisations to be accredited, nationally recognised in this portfolio of strategic tourism bodies across the UK, supporting the transformation of the visitor economy landscape.
Following the meeting, Chi Onwurah MP said: “It was a pleasure to meet Lady Victoria Borwick to discuss the North East Destination Development Partnership. This programme plans to grow the visitor economy in Newcastle by boosting skills, driving innovation, and promoting our wonderful region as a go to destination.”
A Destination Development Partnership pilot is led by a LVEP, on behalf of a region and is managed by national body VisitEngland to deliver the government’s ambitions for the visitor economy at a regional level.
Commenting on her visit to North East England Lady Victoria Borwick, Chair of VisitEngland said: “I was very pleased to visit the North East of England and see for myself the local businesses and attractions that make this region an outstanding visitor destination. I was also delighted to hear that the Destination Development Partnership is working collaboratively with stakeholders and industry leaders to grow the region’s visitor economy.”
Sarah Green, Chief Executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative added: “It has been our pleasure to showcase our regional tourism product to VisitEngland Chair Lady Victoria Borwick. A huge thank you to all of our partners and stakeholders who worked with us to showcase our offer and progress. This visit highlighted the strength of our offer and the progress towards our bold ambitions to double the size of the visitor economy in ten years. It was a privilege to showcase the work being done in the region to supercharge our visitor economy, hear about VisitEngland’s commitment to developing sustainable, inclusive and accessible tourism and how Destination North East England can lead the way.”
Joining up Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) organisations NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham, and working across the region’s seven local authority areas, the £2.25m Destination Development Partnership Pilot which runs until 2025, aims to unlock the untapped potential of the visitor economy in the region, attracting new visitors and investment.
The region will work together through this partnership to improve skills, develop products, work with the travel trade to attract group bookings, drive innovation, support business events and improve the accessibility and sustainability of the sector.