Durham visitor economy approaches record £1.5 billion as investment and partnerships continue to drive growth
County Durham’s visitor economy has continued its strong upward trajectory, with the latest
Independent tourism figures show visitor expenditure rising to £1.48 billion during 2025, an 8% increase compared to the previous year, marking three consecutive years of record-breaking results for the county.
The latest STEAM* assessment also shows that 21.98 million people visited the county in
2025, up 2% on 2024, the highest visitor numbers in the North East.
Visit County Durham, Durham County Council’s tourism service, has welcomed the figures,
which demonstrate the impact of sustained investment, strong partnership working, and the
continued development of high-quality visitor experiences across the county.
Overnight stays, a key objective for the county’s Destination Management Organisation to
ensure sustainable growth for the destination, continued to deliver significant economic value,
with visitors staying longer and spending more during 2025.
Staying visitor numbers increased by 1.8% to 1.67 million, while overnight visitor expenditure rose by 11.2% to £651.94 million – accounting for 44% of all visitor spending despite representing just 8% of total visits.
The figures also reflect the impact of sustained national and international marketing activity
led by Visit County Durham in partnership with the county’s tourism businesses.
This success has contributed to the positive regional performance, with data showing the
North East’s visitor economy also continues to grow, welcoming more than 70 million visitors
in 2025, up 2.8% on the previous year.
Tourism also continues to play a significant role in supporting employment and local
businesses across County Durham. The latest figures show that over 14,000 full-time
equivalent jobs are now supported by the visitor economy, an increase of 2% from 2024,
including 11,250 directly employed within the sector and a further 2,819 jobs supported
through the wider supply chain.
Significant investment across County Durham’s tourism, hospitality, heritage and cultural offer
has helped support this continued growth. The county’s growing outdoor offer, alongside a
year-round programme of festivals, events and experiences, is also helping to encourage
visitors to stay longer and explore more areas of the county.
Duncan Peake, Chair of Visit County Durham and CEO of Raby Estates, said: “These latest
figures reflect the strength and resilience of County Durham’s visitor economy and demonstrate the positive impact of continued investment and collaboration across the sector.
Tourism plays an important role in supporting jobs, businesses and communities across the county, and it is encouraging to see continued growth in visitor numbers, visitor spending and employment. We know there are still more opportunities ahead, particularly around further growth in overnight stays and continued investment in visitor experiences and accommodation, and we will continue working closely with partners across the county to build on this momentum.”
Cllr Karen Allison, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Tourism, Regeneration and High Street
said: “Tourism continues to make a significant contribution to County Durham’s economy and
communities, demonstrating the value of long-term investment, strong partnership working
and high-quality visitor experiences.
“Tourism is not just important for visitors, it also benefits residents, supporting jobs, creating opportunities and fostering pride in our county.
“With exciting developments still to come in 2026, including The Light in Durham City
and Kynren’s new daytime attraction, there will be even more for residents and visitors to
experience, helping County Durham continue to strengthen its profile on both the national and international stage.”
