&
Culture
Heritage
ENJOY TEES VALLEY: NEW DESTINATION
TOURISM SERVICE LAUNCHED
DAY S O U T
mima (above) and Preston Park (right)
are two of the most popular visitor
attractions in the Tees Valley.
I
t attracts as many day visitors as
Newcastle and Gateshead but the Tees
Valley lags behind in overnight stays
and national profile.
But all that could be set to change.
An ambitious new tourism service that
promotes Tees Valley as a world-class
destination has been launched by the region’s
Combined Authority with a wide range of
partners.
A dedicated destination and marketing
website, tourism service and brand – Enjoy
Tees Valley – aim to boost the visitor
economy and help tourists and residents
experience the best of the region as it gears
up to launch its bid for UK City of Culture
2025.
Tees Valley has been without a destination
tourism service for a number of years.
Enjoy Tees Valley aims to:
> Attract more than 20 million people
> Add £1bn per year to the local
economy by 2021
> Create 3,000 new jobs
Tess Valley mayor Ben Houchen said:
“From our industrial skyline to our stunning
rolling countryside, each town and village
that makes up the Tees Valley is rich with
local culture, heritage and attractions.
“We are passionate about our home, and
with the new Enjoy Tees Valley brand, we
can capitalise on our strengths and ensure
that visitors to the area get to sample more
and experience more.”
Research has shown that attractions high
on visitors’ to-do lists include:
> Middlesbrough’s Institute of Modern
Art (mima)
> Stockton’s Butterfly World
> Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience
> Kirkleatham Museum in Redcar
> Darlington’s South Park
Enjoy Tees Valley’s website -
enjoyteesvalley.com - provides ma ny more
suggestions for great things to do and
allows users to search for places to stay,
find out what’s on, choose the best places
to eat and drink, be inspired by itineraries,
take advantage of special offers and build a
personalised visit planner.
Mayor Houchen added: “It’s time to
showcase all that we are proud of, throw
open our arms and invite the world to see
our world-class attractions for themselves
ahead of launching our UK City of Culture
bid in 2021.
“The tourism industry has huge potential
to support regeneration, local businesses
dependent on the visitor pound and
safeguard and create more jobs. Our
fantastic arts, culture and leisure offerings,
as well as our rich heritage, play a huge
role in helping it expand.
“With Enjoy Tees Valley leading the
charge by positioning us as an attractive
place to live, work and visit, this growth
will be supercharged.”
Middlesbrough mayor Dave Budd,
Tees Valley Combined Authority’s cabinet
member for culture, said: “Enjoy Tees
Valley is just the beginning of our work
to develop and promote tourism. Our
area has great potential to appeal to a
wide range of audiences and the website
showcases the staggering range of things to
do and see in the region.”
Michael Janes, Tees Valley branch chair
for the Federation of Small Businesses,
said: “I have been working alongside
businesses for years to keep stressing
the outstanding tourism experiences on
offer across our region. Now I couldn’t be
happier to be an advocate for Enjoy Tees
Valley.
“This service will give the sector a shot
in the arm and bolster small businesses
who rely on the benefits visitors bring.”
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