Derby days plan to boost football tourist stays
ReutersThe return of the Tyne-Wear derby to next season's Premier League fixture list should be used in efforts to attract more tourists to north-east England, political leaders have said.
Next season will be the first time since 2016 that both Newcastle and Sunderland have been together in the top flight and there is a hope to capitalise on tourism surrounding English football.
North East Combined Authority (NECA) has agreed that the investment agency Newcastle Gateshead Initiative would now promote the whole of Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham.
Sunderland City Council leader Michael Mordey told a NECA meeting football could "really drive forward" footfall in the region.
Newcastle City Council leader Karen Kilgour added: "It demonstrates just how strong our region is… the sport we have from cricket, to football, to hosting rugby, the Women's World Cup.
"Our cultural offer is second to none."
Recent estimates suggest 68.4 million people came to the region in 2024, slightly down from 69 million the year before, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
While tourism is claimed to be worth over £6.6bn a year to the North East, it has the lowest number of both domestic and international visitors of anywhere in England, so politicians hope to double the number of tourist trips over the next decade.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness told council leaders and other senior figures on Tuesday that the region had not been "good enough in shouting about and marketing ourselves to the rest of the world".
She reiterated calls for new powers that would allow her to impose a tourism levy, and her ambition to bring the Olympic Games to the north of England.