We embark on an annual collation of regular data providing comparable annual performance, which can be benchmarked against regional competitors. STEAM is a tourism economic impact modelling process which enables us to measure tourism using local data, tourism performance and visitor survey data. The results allow us to monitor the impact of tourism across Northumberland.

The research that we gain from the report allows us to establish the impact of our activity and helps us to develop and grow.

Headline figures for key metrics for 2025 are as follows:

Northumberland’s visitor economy in 2025 has shown:

• A decade of growth The visitor economy has more than doubled in value over the past decade, reaching a record £1.58bn in 2025.

• Continued shift toward high-value tourism Growth is increasingly driven by higher-value overnight visitors, with staying trips accounting for 66% of total spend.

• Northumberland is a year-round destination Growth is shifting into shoulder and off-peak seasons, supporting a more resilient, year-round visitor economy.

• Reflects changing visitor behaviour The growth of non-serviced accommodation reflects changing visitor preferences towards longer stays and more flexible travel patterns.

• Supports the foundational economy through inclusive economic impact The visitor economy supports nearly 15,000 jobs and remains a cornerstone of local employment and community prosperity across Northumberland. 

Northumberland’s visitor economy has now grown to £1.582 billion in 2025, representing significant sustained growth since 2019. This trajectory reflects a long-term shift toward higher value tourism, with expenditure increasing faster than visitor numbers and strong performance in key sectors such as food and drink. 

Taken together with historic STEAM trends and recent recovery data, the visitor economy has more than doubled in value over the past decade, from £756m to £1.58bn, with continued growth placing it on a trajectory for further expansion.

Continued focus on quality experiences, longer stays, and higher-spend segments will be critical to maintaining this trajectory and delivering inclusive economic benefit across Northumberland.

Visitor Expenditure 
Northumberland’s visitor economy has continued its strong post‑pandemic growth, building on recovery achieved in 2024 and demonstrating sustained momentum across both volume and value.

• Economic Impact: The total economic impact of tourism in Northumberland reached £1.582 billion, up 9.6% on 2024 (nominal terms), with real‑terms growth of +5.8% year-on-year. 
• Direct Expenditure:  Direct visitor spend totalled £1.173 billion, an increase of 9.6% on 2024 (nominal) and +5.7% in real terms.

Visitor Volume and Days 
Growth continues to be driven by increases in both day and staying visitors, with overall visitor numbers exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

• All Visitors: 
  Visitor Numbers: 11.13 million (+6.4% on 2024, +4.2% on 2019) 

• Staying Visitors: 
  Visitor Numbers: 1.917 million (+2.9% on 2024,-0.6% on 2019)

• Day Visitors: 
  Visitor Numbers: 9.218 million (+7.2% on 2024, +5.3% on 2019)

• Visitor Days (All Visitors): 
  17.52 million (+6.4% on 2024, +3.9% on 2019)

Visitor Spend and Behaviour 

Visitor spend growth continues to outperform volume growth, reflecting improvements in yield and value per trip across both day and overnight segments.

Growth is increasingly driven by shoulder and off‑peak periods, reflecting longer stays and a shift towards year-round tourism

Staying visitors, while representing only around 17% of total visits, generate 66% of all visitor spend, underlining the importance of growing higher-value overnight markets.

Day visitors continue to generate over half of all visitor days, sustaining footfall across towns, attractions and landscapes

The average spend per visit for overnight visitors is £403, an increase of nearly 23% (up from £381.15 in 2024)

The average day visitor spent £43.44, an increase of 8.7% (up from £41.92 in 2024). 

Employment

The Northumberland visitor economy supports almost 15,000 jobs across heritage sites, visitor attractions, hospitality, and parks.

Total Employment: 
14,944 FTEs (+2.7% on 2024) 

Direct Employment: 
11,885 FTEs (+2.5% on 2024)

Sector Highlights

Food and Drink remains the largest contributor to the visitor economy:

• Economic Impact Share: 46% of total impact 

• Employment: 44% of direct tourism employment 

The sector continues to perform strongly, with economic impact and employment both above pre-pandemic levels.

The accommodation market continues to evolve, with strong growth in non‑serviced accommodation reflecting changing visitor preferences towards longer stays and greater flexibility.

Purchase the Northumberland Volume and Value Data

Visit Northumberland has over a decade of historical trend data at its disposal.

The full report contains information on the volume and value of tourism to the county of Northumberland in 2024, with analysis comparing back to 2023 and the pre-pandemic 2019. This covers detailed analysis of:

• Comparative Headlines
• Economic Impact
• Visitor Numbers
• Visitor Days
• Employment
• Key Measures
• Sectoral Analysis
• Annual Impact Distribution by Visitor Type
• Monthly Impact Distribution by Visitor Type
• Accommodation Supply by Type of Establishment

Visit Northumberland partners are able to access a PDF data set as a partnership benefit.

Please request your copy by emailing partnership@visitnorthumberland.com to verify your partnership status.

Non-partners, consultants, planners and anyone seeking more detailed analytical data can purchase a copy of the Y-o-Y comparison pdf document for £150+VAT, with a full 10-year comparison excel spreadsheet report available for £350+VAT.

Please contact neil.carney@visitnorthumberland.com to discuss your needs.