TOURISM organisations across the North East have joined forces to retain the region’s Passionate People, Passionate Places brand.
The Northern Tourism Alliance, which was set up last year to maintain regional co-ordination in developing the visitor economy, paid £2,500 for the logo, branding, domain name and North East England logo from One North East.
The alliance, made up of Northumberland Tourism, Hadrian’s Wall Heritage, North East Hotels Association, NewcastleGateshead Initiative and Visit County Durham, aims to protect the brand and continue to use it for marketing purposes.
Chairman Geoff Hodgson said: “All of the organisations concerned continue to work towards raising the profile of their respective areas of North East England in order to attract visitors and deliver economic benefits. We all, therefore, have a vested interest in assets such as the Passionate People brand. Our combined purchase demonstrates a joined-up approach and a willingness to genuinely work in partnership in the best interests of the tourism sector.”
The region attracts around 8.6million overnight visitors annually, and 73million day visits. Tourism is estimated to contribute £3.9billion to the regional economy, supporting more than 10,000 businesses and more than 50,000 jobs in the industry.