Tourism Leaders Selected To Boost Visitor Numbers Across Tees Valley

Leading figures from Tees Valley tourism and hospitality sectors have been selected to drive forward ambitious plans for the region’s visitor economy.

A new board has been established by Tees Valley Combined Authority to supercharge visitor numbers and boost the profile of a region which currently attracts around 20 million visitors a year.

Chaired by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, and backed by Tees Valley Business Board, it will provide a voice for the visitor economy and shape TVCA’s support to drive growth in a sector which employs around 10,000 people and delivers a £1.3billion annual economic boost.

It includes representatives from key organisations including Tees Active, British Cycling, Teesside University, Middlesbrough Football Club and the National Trust.

Hospitality businesses are represented by owners of Saltburn restaurant Signals and Darlington restaurant Babuls while large and small accommodation providers include Holiday Inn Express and Thorpe Thewles Lodges.

The group includes content creators, accessibility advocates and representatives from arts, heritage, and travel sectors.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “With our stunning coastline, superb attractions and brilliant businesses, we know our region is a fantastic place for people to visit, relax and spend money.

“Tourism is hugely important to our economy and in 2023 we saw a £1.3billion economic boost from the sector and – with the help of the expertise we have assembled in our new board – we will now being working hard to rapidly increase this further.”

Board members met for the first time on Wednesday (March 19), at Hopetown, in Darlington. It was followed by a wider networking event attended by more than 90 local tourism businesses, which provided opportunities for business leaders across the sector to give their views.

The launch coincides with English Tourism Week, led by VisitBritain, which promotes destinations and attractions across Tees Valley as part of a national campaign.

The establishment of the board comes after Tees Valley secured Local Visitor Economy Partnership status in 2024 – providing key benefits to our region to supercharge its tourism offer and promote the area as a top visitor destination.

The designation puts the region level with areas such as County Durham, Northumberland, Liverpool and Manchester, raising its profile on a national and international level while gaining increased support with VisitEngland and VisitBritain.

Shuhel Ahmed, board member and Director of Babuls, said: “We’re in a little bit of a triangle of tourist hotspots as a region with Durham, York and Scarborough, and Tees Valley in the middle.

“There are a lot of attractions near us so it’s looking at what our region can do. If we can raise the awareness of Tees Valley, it boosts my business and everyone’s businesses.

“I grew up in the Tees Valley, went to school in Darlington and university in Middlesbrough, and I’ve seen the difference and change since then.

“With the 200^th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, this place has the potential to bring in international tourists – but it’s also a case of looking within our region and getting people in Middlesbrough to go to Darlington and vice-versa.

“It’s looking at it internationally, regionally and locally.”

To find out more about the board, go here: https://teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/business/lvep-board/

If you operate in the visitor economy sector, add your business to Visit Tees Valley to unlock free marketing support: https://teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/visit/my-account/