New board aims to attract more tourists to Tees Valley
The board, formed by the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA), includes representatives from prominent local organisations and aims to supercharge visitor numbers and raise the region’s profile.
This diverse group is aimed at providing a voice for the visitor economy and shaping TVCA’s support to drive growth in the sector, which employs about 10,000 people and contributes a £1.3 billion annual economic boost.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who chairs the board, said: “With our stunning coastline, superb attractions, and brilliant businesses, we know our region is a fantastic place for people to visit, relax, and spend money.
The new board has been established to drive forward tourism in Tees Valley (Image: Tom Banks)
“Tourism is hugely important to our economy, and in 2023, we saw a £1.3 billion economic boost from the sector.
“With the help of the expertise we have assembled in our new board, we will now be working hard to rapidly increase this further.”
The board includes representatives from Tees Active, British Cycling, Teesside University, Middlesbrough Football Club, and the National Trust.
Hospitality businesses are represented by the owners of Saltburn restaurant Signals and Darlington restaurant Babuls, while accommodation providers include Holiday Inn Express and Thorpe Thewles Lodges.Board members met for the first time at Hopetown, Darlington (Image: Tom Banks)
Content creators, accessibility advocates, and representatives from the arts, heritage, and travel sectors are also part of the group.
Board members met for the first time on Wednesday, March 19, at Hopetown, in Darlington.
The meeting was followed by a networking event attended by more than 90 local tourism businesses, offering business leaders an opportunity to share their views.
The launch coincides with English Tourism Week, led by VisitBritain, which promotes destinations and attractions across Tees Valley as part of a national campaign.
Establishing the board comes after Tees Valley secured Local Visitor Economy Partnership status in 2024, providing key benefits to enhance its tourism offer and promote the area as a top visitor destination.
The designation puts the region on par with areas such as County Durham, Northumberland, Liverpool, and Manchester, raising its profile on a national and international level while gaining increased support from VisitEngland and VisitBritain.
Shuhel Ahmed, a board member and director of Babuls, said: “We’re in a little bit of a triangle of tourist hotspots as a region with Durham, York, and Scarborough, and Tees Valley in the middle.
“There are a lot of attractions near us so it’s looking at what our region can do.
“If we can raise the awareness of Tees Valley, it boosts my business and everyone’s businesses.
“I grew up in the Tees Valley, went to school in Darlington and university in Middlesbrough, and I’ve seen the difference and change since then.
“With the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, this place has the potential to bring in international tourists – but it’s also a case of looking within our region and getting people in Middlesbrough to go to Darlington and vice-versa.
“It’s looking at it internationally, regionally and locally.”
The full list of board members includes Phil Douglas from Curious Arts, Gail Buzzard from the National Trust, Leon Jones from Tees Active, Stephen Tate from Imaginative Productions, Jonathan Day from British Cycling, and Phil Forster from Teesside Airport, among others.
The board also includes representatives from the Tees Valley Combined Authority, local authorities, and Visit Britain, which will act as an observer on behalf of VisitBritain and VisitEngland.