Visit County Durham hosts VisitBritain chief executive for county showcase

30th April 2026

Visit County Durham was delighted to host a visit from Patricia Yates last week, Chief Executive Officer of VisitBritain/VisitEngland. Following significant investment in the county’s visitor economy in recent years, through new and enhanced attractions and accommodation, and with even more yet to come, the visit was an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties with the national body as we showcased the driving force which is County Durham.

Visit County Durham has worked successfully in partnership with both VisitBritain and VisitEngland since the destination management organisation came into being in 2006, and was proud to be one of the first official Local Visitor Economy Partnerships, following the launch of the accreditation scheme by the national body for England. And following the award of the first Destination Development Partnership pilot to the North East, the region worked closer than ever before with both organisations as their support for the region was stepped up even further through both trade and media activity.

The itinerary for the visit highlighted how the county’s rich heritage is being interpreted and made relevant for today’s audiences, how strong partnerships across the county are supporting and enhancing the visitor offer, and how the Visit County Durham Advisory Board is harnessing their specialist areas of knowledge and expertise to drive forward the county’s visitor economy in a sustainable way.

Day one included a visit to Durham Cathedral and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, highlighting its role as a key driver for the city, as well as the role it plays in attracting and radiating, supporting the wider county. Key areas of discussion included the Northern Saints Trails regional product development project, led by Visit County Durham, which has created a compelling new proposition which resonates with international audiences, as well as the importance of food and drink in building a sense of place, brought to life with a visit to the city’s historic Victorian indoor market. And a visit to Durham Town Hall highlighted how authentic local stories are key to creating unique and memorable visitor experiences.

Day two saw Patricia Yates enjoy a whistle-stop tour of the county, including The Bowes Museum and their new Vivienne Westwood exhibition, demonstrating how contemporary programming can be utilised to attract new audiences, and Raby Castle, Park and Gardens, highlighting the significant investment that has created a visitor destination unlike any other, and where sense of place and storytelling shine through.

A visit to The Auckland Project provided the opportunity to see the incredible collection of heritage attractions, galleries and gardens which have transformed the market town of Bishop Auckland. And a visit to the Kynren site provided a very special behind the scenes tour of The Storied Lands, the exciting new historical day park which is set to open this summer.

Themes running throughout the visit included film and TV tourism, and how Visit County Durham works to attract this audience, and how important national campaigns such as Starring GB are in providing a platform to amplify our offer, as well as skills, connectivity, partnerships and funding.

The visit also provided the opportunity for Patricia Yates to meet members of the Visit County Durham Advisory Board, who represent key visitor economy businesses and institutions, and to hear firsthand about what opportunities and challenges the county and wider region are facing, and how we see our engagement with the national bodies as key to success.

VisitBritain/VisitEngland CEO Patricia Yates said:

“Visit County Durham organised a brilliant programme and it has been wonderful to visit so many businesses and attractions across the city and region, and to experience first-hand the wonderful welcome for visitors.

“It has also been fantastic to meet with key tourism stakeholders and industry leaders, seeing how the strength and ambition of local and national partnerships, underpinned by a place-based approach, is ensuring County Durham is a great place to live, work, study and visit. 

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Visit County Durham and Destination North East England, and to telling the story of the region globally through our Starring GREAT Britain screen tourism campaign, driving visitor value, boosting investment and delivering growth for the region’s economy through tourism. I am excited to be returning in summer for the opening of ‘ Kynren-The Storied Lands’, a showstopping, world‑class attraction and a hugely exciting addition to the region’s visitor offer.”

Michelle Gorman, managing director at Visit County Durham, added: “It was a pleasure and a huge opportunity to host Patricia Yates in the county this week, to showcase the strength, resilience and creativity of our visitor economy and its businesses. The county and wider region have a pivotal role to play in supporting the national body’s objective of driving tourism growth in the regions, through our strength of stories, experiences and welcome. However, there are of course some challenges too, and so having the opportunity to highlight these firsthand, and discuss how collaboration is key to realising our true potential, was incredibly valuable. We would like to thank Patricia for taking the time out of her very busy diary to visit the county, and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership with VisitBritain and VisitEngland.”

Patrcia Yates, Chief Executive Officer of VisitBritain/VisitEngland, enjoys a behind the scenes tour of the exciting new development - Kynren: the Storied Lands. L-R: Michelle Gorman, managing director of Visit County Durham; Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain/VisitEngland; Anna Warnecke, CEO of Kynren; Jonathan Ruffer, founder of The Auckland Project.