Northumberland welcomes record visitor spend in 2024
06 Jun 2025
New data on the economic impact of tourism reveals that Northumberland’s visitor economy has reached its remarkable post-COVID recovery a year ahead of forecast, achieving record-breaking economic results and almost 10.5million visitors in 2024.
The latest annual STEAM* report highlights that Northumberland’s tourism industry reached a new milestone with a total economic impact of £1.443 billion in 2024, reflecting a 9% increase on 2023 and a 3.2% rise compared to the previous 2019 record once adjusted for inflation.
This success is also mirrored in the direct expenditure, which stands at £1.071 billion, marking an 8.8% rise on 2023 and 3.1% up on 2019.
In particular, staying visitors have shown notable growth. In 2024, the number of overnight visitors increased by 0.5% on 2023 to 1.863 million with an extension in average length of stay to 4.2 nights. Visitor days from these staying grew by 2.8% to 7.874 million, indicative of a growing trend of visitors staying longer and doing more in the region, contributing to the overall increase in economic value.
Simultaneously, the county saw a strong uplift in day visitors, with visitor numbers reaching 8.601 million in 2024, representing a 4.1% increase on 2023.
“We are incredibly proud of the growth in both day and staying visitors, the increased length of stay, and the higher economic value generated by tourism in 2024,” commented Andrew Fox, Chair of Visit Northumberland.
“To have achieved this post-pandemic economic recovery a year ahead of forecast is a testament to the hard work of our tourism sector, where businesses are not only engaging more with Visit Northumberland but also investing in higher-level partnerships that benefit everyone. The increased engagement is reflected in product development, enhanced visitor experiences, and improved industry inclusivity, which ultimately strengthens the entire tourism ecosystem.”
Visit Northumberland, the accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership charged with the development and promotion of the destination has focussed efforts on attracting new visitor audiences through proactive destination marketing campaigns and a wide-ranging business development programme aligned with the priorities of the Destination North East Destination Development Partnership.
The outstanding performance for Northumberland reflects the impact that a commitment to quality, innovation, product and experience development can make.
Northumberland visitor economy businesses had a strong presence in the at the 2025 North East England Tourism Awards securing accolades in 16 of the 18 categories, seven taking home gold, with two – Ad Gefrin Anglo Saxon Museum and Distillery and the Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant recognised nationally as VisitEngland Awards for Excellence winners.
Northumberland’s commitment to increasing business engagement has also been a key factor in the tourism industry’s success. The share of Visit Northumberland partners opting for higher levels of partnership has increased year-on-year, reflecting the growing confidence in the sector’s future.
Cllr Wendy Pattison, Northumberland County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Tourism, said: “This is fantastic news. Growth in the sector and growing business engagement reflects the vibrant and welcoming environment we have cultivated in Northumberland.
“With more businesses investing in higher levels of partnership, and the expansion of support functions for product development and inclusivity, the future of our tourism industry looks brighter than ever.”
The economic impact of food and drink remains the most significant, accounting for 45.9% of the total economic impact, or around £662 million, and supporting 5,018 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.
Encouragingly, employment in the tourism sector remained buoyant. Direct tourism employment in 2024 was 11,594 FTEs, with total employment across the sector stood at 14,545 FTEs, showing a 0.7% decrease from the previous year.
Prospects for continued growth into 2025 remain positive with continued investment in experiences and the expansion of an integrated business support function. Together with established activity, these will further encourage product development, improve inclusivity, increase bookability, and enhance overall engagement within the industry, thereby sustaining long-term growth and innovation.