According to research, two new visitor attractions in Northumberland, Lilidorei in Alnwick and Ad Gefrin in Wooler, have potentially contributed to boosting the county’s annual visitor numbers back above 10 million. The latest Steam report revealed that tourism added £1.2bn to the county’s economy in 2023, which is a 7% increase from the previous year. However, the figures are still around 5% lower than pre-Covid-19 levels.
Despite the increase in day visitors and events like the Alnwick Winter Light trail attracting people even out of season, Andrew Fox, chair of Visit Northumberland, expressed cautious optimism about the growth in visitor numbers. He noted that while they have been busy, people seem to be spending less in restaurants due to the cost of living crisis.
Michael Dawson, who owns several restaurants and pubs in Northumberland, including the Craster Arms in Beadnell, shared his observations about tourists spending less on food due to economic pressures. Despite this challenge, he expressed optimism about the future of tourism in Northumberland as more visitors are drawn to explore its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.
According to data from Destination North East England, over 69 million visitors were welcomed by seven local authorities across the region between January 2023 and July 2023. This represents a 5% increase from last year’s figures. The continued growth of tourism across North East England is an encouraging sign for businesses and communities alike as they work towards recovery from the pandemic’s impact on their economies.
