I own one of North East's top spa hotels but visitors think coming up here is like going to Mordor
A boss at one of the North East’s most successful hotels has said the region needs to do more to realise its potential as a tourist destination.
Daniel Harrison, whose family owns Matfen Hall in Northumberland, said the region was “fantastic” and praised the mix of attractions on offer. However, speaking at a conference at Raby Castle on Friday, Mr Harrison also pointed out that the region had fewer overnight visitors than much of the rest of the country
This was blamed on a lack of hotel beds as well as lower numbers of top-class facilities. The conference was hosted by the True North think tank, with other speakers including CEO of Beamish Museum Rhiannon Hiles, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and ex-Durham County Council leader Amanda Hopgood.
Mr Harrison is part of the think tank’s steering group which also includes former councillors and MPs. Speaking on Friday, Mr Harrison said: “The sector is full of promise and potential, but we’re not realising that. The good thing about having potential is we’re masters of our own destiny – we can shape it.
“What a fantastic region we live in. From Durham across to Carlisle and up into Northumberland, I think we have the best mix of historic assets, of nature and of culture. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in the world. Why aren’t we shouting about that? Why aren’t visitors to Cornwall saying they have to come here and they have to stay in the north?
“That’s a common problem. International visitors think it’s like going to Mordor. There’s a saturation of the familiar sites like Alnwick and Bamburgh. We have blocks of tourism where it lasts three to four months which makes it harder to keep great staff, and it’s hard for staff to live in those areas.
“We need to be brave and look at where we can put investment. I think there’s a difficulty across the north in terms of bedrooms and premier facilities where people want to stay. The potential is there, the demand is there. We have to look at how we can encourage private investors.”
True North is a cross-party organisation focusing on the North East and Cumbria. It was launched in Newcastle earlier this year and while it has many ex-Tory politicians among its ranks, bosses insist it is about finding “common ground”.
Speaking at the conference in County Durham, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “We are so incredibly lucky. This place is like nowhere else – it is the best place in the world. We have 500km of incredible coastline, natural assets, cultural venues and castles, but the main thing that attracts people to this region is the people and the pride of the people.
“The love and pride of the people of the North East is our biggest economic asset. Every single area of our region is growing in overnight stays. Tourism and the culture of the region is worth £6.6 billion to our economy and employs 62,000 people.
“Everything we have heard today is about working together. We can come together cross party and have a discussion and find solutions about how we can grow tourism.”