Visit County Durham hopes to lure tourists to Teesdale – with a little help from adventurer Ben Fogle

Visitors are being encouraged to follow in the footsteps of adventurer Ben Fogle, as a new national marketing campaign is launched to promote County Durham’s great outdoors.
Visit County Durham’s campaign features an episode of the online series Ben Fogle’s Great British Adventure, which showcases the outdoor experiences visitors can have on a break in the area.
As well as showing Mr Fogle taking part in activities including gorge walking at Low Force, mountain biking at Hamsterley Forest and paddle boarding at the Durham Heritage Coast, the film also highlights the county’s scenery and natural attractions. Campaign activity also includes
e-newsletters, social media activity, online advertising and a visit from the well-known blogger and travel writer Paul Steele, known as the Baldy Hiker, along with a dedicated section on the county’s official tourism website www.thisisdurham.com.
Michelle Gorman, managing director of Visit County Durham, said: “Durham’s great outdoors is one of the county’s key tourism assets, with the stunning scenery of the Durham Dales, North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Durham Heritage Coast providing the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities or rest and relaxation. With national research showing that holidays involving outdoor activities tend to be slightly longer breaks than the average and with spend also higher than the average, this is a market that Visit County Durham seeks to capitalise on.”
The campaign activity follows previous promotions by Visit County Durham which saw County Durham and Durham Heritage Coast showcased on digital billboards at London’s King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley train stations, posters on the London Underground and an eight-page supplement in the Independent. Ms Gorman added: “With UK short breaks on the increase and with visitors seeking more ways to take some tranquil time out from their everyday lives, this campaign aims to showcase exactly what Durham has to offer.”
Cllr Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, said: “We are thrilled to see the campaign get underway as this will prove a fantastic boost to our rural areas and help stimulate the visitor economy and, in turn, economic impact.”
The Durham episode of Ben Fogle’s Great British Adventure can be viewed at www.thisisdurham.com/outdoors