England’s first Destination Development Partnership, Destination North East England (DNEE), has worked with experts to develop a range of resources, videos and checklists to help make the region’s visitor economy accessible and inclusive to all.

Announced during English Tourism Week, the national celebration of the people and places that form the nation’s visitor economy, the revamped Everybody Welcome initiative has been developed in collaboration with Access and Inclusion UK - leading experts in the field - and is aligned with their work for national tourism body VisitEngland, designed to make the destination a beacon for accessible and inclusive travel in Europe.

Figures from VisitEngland suggest expenditure on tourism trips in England by those with an impairment or those travelling within a group where a member has an impairment is estimated to be £14.6 billion annually – demonstrating the economic case for businesses to better cater for travellers with additional needs.

The support programme will help businesses on their journey to provide a more inclusive and accessible welcome to visitors. Tourism and hospitality spots large and small will now be able to access a raft of free sector-specific advice videos, easy to follow checklists to establish their key accessibility features, exclusive podcasts and 1:1 advice sessions with Access and Inclusion UK.

A video series of ‘Quick Wins’ will also be shared across the DNEE social media channels, providing businesses with tangible, often cost-free steps they can take to make the customer journey better for the millions of travellers with accessibility requirements.

From having somewhere to prop up a walking stick at reception to ensuring background music is at a suitable level, the resources breakdown what could be seen as complex or challenging interventions into simple actions businesses can take to improve the guest experience.

The Everybody Welcome relaunch comes after the region’s landmarks were illuminated purple in November to mark Purple Tuesday, the international celebration of accessibility in the visitor economy. Landmarks such as Durham Cathedral and the Gateshead Millenium Bridge sported a distinctive purple hue.

The Destination Development Partnership, led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative, has also worked with destination technology provider Destination Core to pioneer a new API tool. This digital tool will allow businesses to complete their key accessibility information and publish it automatically on tourism information websites like newcastlegateshead.com and newadventures.org.uk. This will significantly reduce barriers to visitors seeking up to date, relevant accessibility information and help them plan their trip with confidence and to suit their needs.

John Marshall, Chair, Destination North East England, said:

“The Everybody Welcome initiative and this new programme of support builds on what businesses in the North East of England are already good at, providing our world-famous welcome. It is incredibly important to us that all of our visitors, no matter their access needs, can enjoy the region and supporting our businesses to maximise their accessibility is a key step to making this happen.

“Working with Access and Inclusion UK has kept us focused and accountable, ensuring the requirements and needs of our visitors are at the heart of our destination strategies.”

Destination North East England is led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative on behalf of the region, working with delivery partners Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham and in in partnership with all seven local authorities to unlock the growth potential of the visitor economy. The partnership has ambitions to double the value of the visitor economy over the next 10 years, transforming the region into a pioneering regenerative, accessible and inclusive destination.