Northumberland has achieved a historic milestone in tourism, with visitor numbers reaching 11 million in 2025—the highest ever recorded. This marks the first time the county has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, signaling a robust recovery for the sector.
Economic Impact and Job Creation
A report from Visit Northumberland, presented to the council's cabinet on Tuesday, reveals that the tourism sector is now worth £1.58 billion to the local economy, supporting thousands of jobs. This represents more than double the value it was in 2015.
Coun Wendy Pattison, Northumberland's cabinet member for tourism, said: "Northumberland's visitor economy continues to be one of the county's major success stories, and it is a hugely important part of our wider economic strategy. Tourism supports jobs, businesses, town centres, transport, food production and our wider reputation as a place to live, work, invest and visit. The figures demonstrate the strength of the sector."
Tourism now generates 15,000 jobs across the county and remains a cornerstone of the economic strategy. "The progress hasn't happened by accident," Pattison added.
Regional Investment and Collaboration
The record numbers come after North East Mayor Kim McGuinness announced plans to back the region's tourism industry with £7 million of new investment, aiming to make the visitor economy worth £10 billion by 2033. Across the North East, there were 70 million visitors last year.
Despite Northumberland's success, it still lags behind counties such as Cumbria, which attracts over 40 million visitors annually. The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (NEMSA) is working to attract both domestic and international visitors to boost the industry across the region.
Experience North East England, formerly the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, has become the destination marketing agency for the whole region. Henry Kippin, Chief Executive of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and Interim Chair of Experience North East England, said: "Destination marketing is vital to our growth ambitions for the visitor economy, marking the first time in over a decade that any significant investment has been made to drive international visitors.
"The launch of Experience North East England, backed by a £7m commitment from the Mayoral Strategic Authority, is a turning point in our drive to bring the world to our doors and create jobs and opportunity for local people and businesses by doing so."
Collaborative Efforts
Experience North East England will work alongside Visit Northumberland, equivalent organisations from Durham and Newcastle-Gateshead, Newcastle Airport, and all seven of the region's councils to grow the visitor economy.
