North East England will pilot a new £2.25 million scheme to restructure tourism boards. DCMS have announced that Newcastle Gateshead Initiative in the North East has been selected to lead the Destination Development Partnership (DDP) pilot in partnership with Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham working across seven local authority areas.
DCMS say that the DDP will receive multi-year funding totalling £2.25 million across three years “to promote more strategic, consumer focused development of the visitor economy”.
Of particular interest are the two key aims that are
- to create a one-stop shop to show off the best of region, attract investment and boost local economy
- to help attract more visitors through new initiatives and target major national and international events and markets
The full announcement and more details are in the DCMS press release.
David Preston (BA Hons)
Chief Executive
The National Association of British Market Authorities