Following successful editions in Cologne, Valencia and Athens, the globally renowned event is supported by England’s first Destination Development Partnership, Destination North East England – a trailblazing pilot led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative on behalf of the region, working with delivery partners Visit Northumberland, Visit County Durham and in partnership with the North East Combined Authority and all seven local authorities to unlock the untapped growth potential of the visitor economy.

It will bring the industry together with global leaders in digital tourism, creative professionals and visitor economy strategists at The Catalyst in Newcastle's Helix district to shape the tourism of tomorrow, using an innovative co-creation format unlike any other event in the sector.

Destination North East England has worked with organisers at Digital Tourism Think Tank to offer businesses in the area a specially discounted rate to attend, ensuring visitor economy professionals, with a particular interest in digital, creative and technology can immerse themselves in the full programme.

Securing this international event with support from the NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, which will welcome hundreds of global visitors, is seen as a huge coup for our region, with all eyes set to be on Newcastle in June. The region has a rich history of innovation from the birthplace of the modern passenger railway to the invention of the incandescent lightbulb, right through to trials of the first ‘Butler Bot’ in a UK hotel, the event will showcase the area’s industrious heritage and its future as a global innovation powerhouse.

As well as a series of fascinating panels and keynotes from forward-thinking international speakers, the event will feature interactive design sprints, shaped around four key pillars, including destination & places, the experience economy, culture & heritage and the technology ecosystem. Delegates will also be able to access dedicated Impact Days offering hands-on immersion with cutting-edge Generative AI and XR technology.

With ambitions to double the value of the visitor economy over the next ten years, the event aligns perfectly with Destination North East England’s aims for the North East to transform into a world-class, innovative destination, with ground-breaking programmes that harness virtual-reality tech to address the skills challenges faced by the industry, digital resources and interactive 3D tours to improve accessibility and inclusion and a world-first regenerative visitor economy framework just some of the interventions the partnership has delivered.