Visit Northumberland to continue as an active conduit for Northumberland businesses within a new regional delivery landscape alongside other LVEPs.
The North East Combined Authority (NECA) has published Cabinet papers for a meeting on the 9th December, confirming proposals to establish a new regional tourism organisation, provisionally titled ‘Experience North East England’, to drive coordinated marketing, product development and growth for the visitor economy at scale.
Crucially, the proposal reflects extensive industry feedback gathered earlier this year and aligns with Visit Northumberland’s commitment to a regional partnership that enhances capacity and amplifies, rather than dilutes, the distinctiveness of each Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP).
Andrew Fox, Chair of Visit Northumberland, said: "We welcome NECA’s commitment to invest in a regional marketing body that will raise the profile of the North East nationally and internationally. This is a significant opportunity to grow the Northumberland visitor economy and attract new audiences.
“Importantly, Visit Northumberland will continue to play its vital role as the convener of the sector locally and this change does not alter how businesses representing Northumberland visitor experiences work with us. We remain the first point of contact and advocate for Northumberland’s visitor economy and conduit into the range of domestic and international activities developed and delivered by the new body.”
‘Experience North East England’ builds on the success of the Destination Development Partnership model which incorporated Visit Northumberland as a delivery partner over the past three years. It follows NECA Cabinet’s political commitment in June 2025 and reinforces the region’s ambition to double the visitor economy to £10bn over the next decade.
The new hub-and-spoke model will make it easier for Northumberland businesses to access regional campaigns and international opportunities, while preserving the unique identity the county’s attractions, accommodation and experience offer.
Core functions of ‘Experience North East England’ will include:
- Inbound Marketing (Domestic and International)
- Product Development
- Event Strategic Management
- Partnership Development
The proposal outlines how this structure will enable a more coordinated approach to regional marketing, innovation, and event strategy, helping position the North East more competitively in both national and global markets.
Importantly, businesses will see no change in how they interact with Visit Northumberland.
NECA’s proposal takes into account views of Northumberland stakeholders raised at the Northumberland Visitor Economy Roundtable held at The Alnwick Garden earlier this year. Partners emphasised the need for strong local representation and clear pathways for businesses to benefit from regional initiatives, principles that have been embedded in the new approach.
Visit Northumberland will continue as the convener of the county’s visitor economy, with the Northumberland Visitor Economy Board ensuring that local business voices and priorities remain central to decision-making.
Under the hub-and-spoke model, Northumberland’s tourism businesses will benefit from streamlined scaled access to regional and international marketing opportunities via Visit Northumberland, avoiding duplication and ensuring simple, effective engagement.
Next steps include a NECA Cabinet decision on 9 December to agree to the proposed approach, ahead of a further report to Cabinet setting out the investment requirements needed to deliver the strategic objectives, key functions, and target outcomes for ‘Experience North East England’. Visit Northumberland is committed to continued partner engagement around the implementation of these functions from April 2026.
View the full paper (from page 233 – 242)
