While tourism is said to be up from people from abroad and those with an interest in botany, bad weather during August is believed to have impacted negatively on “spontaneous” visits to the dale.
People are also making more frequent but shorter stays, it has been reported by those involved in the tourism industry.
One who has identified the trend is Ed Nichols, of Hillcrest Park, near Winston, which offers caravanning, camping pods and holiday cottage faculties.
He said: “A lot of people are taking more shorter breaks of three or four days. We are also getting more foreigners. We get a lot of Dutch, but also French, Italians, Australians, New Zealanders and just this last week Sri Lankans.”
He believed the shorter stays and increased European visitors may be down to the economic climate and Brexit.
The allure of Teesdale, he added, was the beauty of its countryside as well as the amount of things to see and do.
He said that there are a number of repeat bookings from people who want to see things they had heard about during a previous visit, such as the Kynren outdoor spectacle at Bishop Auckland.
A host of people had booked in at the holiday site just to go to the show.
It is also popular with cyclists, both those cycling from coast to coast as well as specialist cyclists going to Hamsterley Forest.
The 48-year-old, who has been running Hillcrest Park for the past six years, said visitors are looking for cheaper stays than the prices in the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
He added: “We offer value for money accommodation in a fantastic area.
“People will use us as a base and travel. It is only an hour to Ullswater and the Yorkshire Dales.”
Another unusual contributor to visitor numbers are dog agility shows in the region, Mr Nichols said.
People are coming from as far as the Isle of Man and Scotland to take part.
He paid tribute to tourism body Visit County Durham which was pushing to fill accommodation in Teesdale and Weardale during the “shoulder” periods of the season – in the spring and autumn when most places are closed down.
He said: “They are good, they have been very helpful to us.”
Richard Proud of Highside Farm Camping Site, near Middleton-in-Teesdale, says he has seen a change in the things visitors want to see when they come to Teesdale.
The 59-year-old added he had a shortened season because he will be retiring soon.
He added: “Having said that I would say my general impression is that it is at least as good as it has been.
“Certainly it has been our best year for enquiries, we have had to turn people away.
“Over the past probably ten years, and the last five years particularly, people have been coming to Teesdale because it is getting a reputation for botany and wild flowers.”
A major drawcard is Hannah’s Meadows which has been featured in television programmes and national newspapers, he said.
Doe Park caravan site, near Cotherstone, has enjoyed a good spring, but numbers have been down for the summer.
Owner Alison Lamb said: “August has been very quiet. We have lost a lot of last minute spontaneous visitors.
“We had an excellent spring, but then the weather was dry. The bookings for September are very good.”
The Bowes Museum has seen a surge in visits by young people but has not reached the numbers it has achieved in the past during major exhibitions.
The museum’s head of finance Richard Welsby said: “Turkish Tulips and The Clockwork Garden are proving a great hit with families, and numbers for children
and young people have trebled across July and August so far.
“Overall, visitor numbers have not reached the highs of 2015 and 2016, which were exceptionally busy summers due to the unprecedented success of the exhibitions Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal and Shoes: Pleasure and Pain.”
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