Our ‘Destination True North’ event at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens yesterday was attended by key people in senior positions from across the region’s visitor economy. We set out to explore what can be done to grow the tourism sector and to promote the whole True North region and there were some clear calls from the panel and the audience:-
1. Work together as a region to encourage existing visitors to stay longer and explore more and to attract more visitors overall. We underperform in attracting international visitors but we have much to offer so we need to tell that story. The Mayoral authorities are well placed to lead on this.
2. Reduce planning friction to develop new attractions and over-night stay capacity. Businesses called on planning authorities to reduce red tape and reduce the timescale and costs involved in securing planning permissions.
3. Reduce the tax burden on labour intensive tourism and hospitality businesses. Rising employment costs and disincentives to invest are causing a real problem. The abolition of capital allowances on profits from furnished holiday lets will reduce supply of much needed extra accommodation.
4. Skills – the hospitality and tourism sector is one of the largest employers in the True North region and there is still much potential for growth yet it struggles with high turnover, seasonal employment challenges, and a lack of career pathways. All panel members agreed that we need a regional strategy to train, knowledgeable and engaged workers.
Introductions by our Chairman John Stevenson were followed with a few words by Duncan Peake, CEO of Raby Castle who were hosting us in their splendid surroundings. Elizabeth Scott from Durham County Council gave a short presentation showing how they have boosted visitor numbers, economic value and employment in Durham with a lot of ambition and a little investment.
The panel session was chaired by former Leader of Durham Council Amanda Hopgood whose administration helped achieve impressive growth in the visitor economy.
The first speaker was Alison Gwynn, CEO of North East Screen who promote our region as a television and film location and have achieved great things, most recently with last year’s filming of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later across the region. This work creates direct economic activity and also showcases the region across the world.
Next up was Rhiannon Hiles, CEO of Beamish Museum, this year’s Museum of the Year who highlighted the need to work together to develop the skills of our regional visitor economy workforce. This is already happening in small pockets but there are still areas where businesses struggle to find the right staff.
The final panel member was Daniel Harrison whose family own 5 star Matfen Hall. Daniel used their business as a case study to highlight frustrations with the time needed to secure planning permission for their investments, their ongoing struggles to find top quality staff and their frustrations with the disincentives to invest built into the taxation system. Despite all of these barriers they are determined to create a world class facility that will be a jewel in the region’s crown for many years to come.
Summing up was Kim McGuinness- North East Mayor who highlighted how much the True North’s visitor economy has to offer and the region’s people are critical to that offer. She also noted how much more can be achieved if politician’s across the spectrum work together to support our businesses and took the opportunity to highlight how little national support there is for the True North – calling for more Visit Britain (Love GREAT Britain) spending here, suggesting it be renamed Visit London and highlighting that England is more than Paddington Bear, cream teas and red phone boxes.
Thanks to the TeesCraft Group for sponsoring our event and making it all possible.