Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Department has made of tourism’s contribution to the North East's rural economy.

DCMS recognises tourism’s vital contribution to the economy of the North East, where a diverse range of historic sites and natural landmarks, from the architectural heritage of Alnwick Castle and Hexham Abbey to the expansive Kielder Water & Forest Park, support the local economy.

The British Tourist Authority’s data for Northumberland, which incorporates Hexham, reveals that for inbound travel, Northumberland welcomed 35.6k visits, 191.8k nights and a spend of £20.7 million in 2024. For domestic visits, Northumberland welcomed 800k trips, 2.6 million bednights and a spend of £225 million from September 2022 to September 2024.

Destination North East England’s Quarterly Research Report for Spring 2025, reported that the North East region’s visitor economy is worth £6.6 billion and supports almost 63,000 jobs. The report also notes that North East England welcomed 68.44 million visitors and hosted 7.82 million overnight visitors in 2024.