An online survey undertaken in May 2021 of over 3,000 contacts to Visit Northumberland show that:

Highlights

• 93% of respondents said they would consider visiting Northumberland for a short break or day trip.

• 79% of respondents said visiting new and different places is an important factor when choosing a destination to visit.

• The availability of good accommodation, nature, space, and landscapes are important factors in their decision making.

• The majority (72%) of people take trips with their partner only.

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In 2022 a face to face visitor survey exercise was undertaken in Northumberland with over 450 respondents. Visitors to Northumberland were invited to share their views on the destination to benchmark the perceptions and quality of visitor experience. Key findings reflect well on Northumberland’s welcome and quality of experiences:

• 100% of respondents said they were made to feel welcome on their visit.
• 99% would recommend Northumberland as a destination to visit.
• 98% stated they would visit again.
• 95% of visitors surveyed rated their experience of Northumberland as an 8 out of 10 or above.
• 8 out of 10 visitors use their own car to travel to Northumberland.
• Overnight visitors stayed for three nights in Northumberland, spending £275.79 per trip.
• Day trippers had an average dwell time of almost 5 hours (4hours 53 minutes), spending on average £41 per trip.

Other key findings highlighted that:

Insights

• 16% of visitors are new visitors while more than 30% have been more than 20 times before.

• 59% of visitors to Northumberland staying overnight.

While general sightseeing and visiting artistic or heritage exhibits came out highly, 41% of visitors said their main reason for visit was to visit heritage sites. Aspects highlighted in need of improvement included parking, more bins, better signposting to seating areas, making the museums and attractions more engaging and interactive.