MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES

Our marketing approach is customer-focused and based on market intelligence.

Our priorities are to:

-   Increase the value and volume of visitors in the shoulder and off-season;

-   Deliver clear and consistent tourism destination marketing in line with the 
    This is Durham brand (see www.thisisdurham.com for details);

-   Focus our collective marketing on our visitors of the future;

-   Stimulate new and younger people to visit;

-   Harness and exploit the power of partnership through joint activity;

-   Inspire and influence visitors in the pre-arrival planning stage and 
    disperse post arrival visitors around the county and region; and

-   Communicate clear, compelling and consistent messages about the 
     county through PR, marketing tools and campaigns.

Durham Deals
Monthly Consumer E-newsletter
Seasonal Short Break E-newsletter
Durham Newsflash
Press Trip
thisisdurham.com
The Durham Brand
Durham Travel Trade and Groups Marketing
Taste Durham Food Quality Scheme
Business Tourism

Durham Deals

"Durham Deals has outperformed other similar offers and we are delighted with the response that it has received."
The Bowes Museum

Join the growing number of attractions, accommodation providers, restaurants and shops who promote special offers on thisisdurham.com through Durham Deals.

With an average of over 28,000 unique visitors to the website plus over 1,500 downloads of Durham Deal vouchers every month, this is a fantastic free promotional opportunity for your business.

Cost: Free
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: Sarah Johnson
T: 03000 261 224 E: sarah.johnson@visitcountydurham.org.

Autumn Durham Deals  submit deal by 23 September  - valid 1 October to 30 November
Winter Durham Deals  submit deal by 24 November - valid 1 December to 28 February
Spring Durham Deals  submit deal by 22 February - valid 1 March to 31 May
Summer Durham Deals submit deal by 25 May - valid 1 June to 30 September

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Monthly Consumer E-newsletter

A themed e-newsletter is sent to our database of over 75,000 contacts every month, achieving open rates and click through rates way above the industry average.

This cost-effective marketing tool is a fantastic way to promote time-sensitive activities and events.

Two opportunities are available:

-    Featured product (50 words, image and web link)
-    Event footer (banner advert and web link)

Cost – Featured product: £75
Cost – Event footer: £150
Deadline: Monthly by the 25th for the following month
Contact: Sarah Johnson
T: 03000 261 224 E: sarah.johnson@visitcountydurham.org

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Seasonal Short Break E-newsletters

A seasonal short breaks e-newsletter is sent to over 125,000 contacts in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

This is a fantastic cost-effective way to promote your business to contacts who are interested in visiting Durham.

Two opportunities are available:

-   Featured product (50 words, image and web link)
-   Event footer (banner advert and web link)

Cost – Featured product: £125
Cost – Event footer: £250
Deadline: Available on request 
Contact: Sarah Johnson
T: 03000 261 224 E: sarah.johnson@visitcountydurham.org

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Durham Newsflash

Do you have a great story to tell and need help telling it? Visit County Durham works with travel and national media to produce positive press coverage about our county, which was valued at £2.8m last year alone. The Durham Newsflash is circulated to over 400 press and media contacts every month, featuring round-ups of news from partners across the county.

Cost: Free, but subject to editorial control
Deadline: Ongoing before 20th of every month
Contact: Debbie Sharratt
T: 03000 261 223 E: debbie.sharratt@visitcountydurham.org

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Press Trip

We attract leading travel writers to visit Durham and report on their experiences for their readers. Partners who host and entertain journalists receive the promotional benefit of being profiled to large well targeted audiences, which can have a beneficial effect on business.

Please register your interest in becoming a press trip partner.

Cost: Free
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: Debbie Sharratt
T: 03000 261 223 E: debbie.sharratt@visitcountydurham.org

Please note that coverage cannot be guaranteed as the journalist has complete control over what they include, as well as any reviews.

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thisisdurham.com

Make the most of your entry on Durham’s official tourism website – thisisdurham.com – by ensuring that your record is accurate, up-to-date and includes high quality images.
With an average of over 28,000 unique visitors to the website every month, this is a free opportunity that you simply can’t miss.

Cost: Free
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: Pam Pedelty
T: 03000 261 227 E: pam.pedelty@visitcountydurham.org 

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The Durham Brand

Help present the county in a clear, confident and compelling way to visitors by becoming part of the ‘this is Durham’ destination brand.

Cost: Free
Deadline: Ongoing
Contact: Sarah Johnson
T: 03000 261 224 E: sarah.johnson@visitcountydurham.org

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Durham Travel Trade and Groups Marketing

Discover Durham is a partnership between tourism businesses and Visit County Durham. It focuses specifically on marketing the county to the UK travel trade and groups market. Join this dedicated and established partnership who are working together to raise the profile of the county as a desirable destination for trade and group buyers.

Cost: Membership £1500 per annum. (Associate membership option may also available, enquire for details)
Deadline: March 2012
Contact: Judith Olsen
T: 07708322936 E: Judith.discoverdurham@tesco.net

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Taste Durham Food Quality Scheme

TasteDurham celebrates the quality of the county’s food and drink offer and brings quality establishments to the attention of visitors. 

Cost: New business: VCD will fund up to 30 new businesses to be assessed (worth £176).  In return businesses are required to pay £248 towards promotional activities including a ¼ page advert in the Durham pocket guide, a listing in the Durham Eating out guide and online activity worth over £750.  New bed & breakfasts are required to pay £135 towards accommodation promotion activity such as an electronic newsletter, accommodation insert and online marketing activity. 
Retuning business;:Assessment rate = £140.  Eating establishments - opportunity to take a ¼ page advert in the pocket guide for £206 (25% discount), bed & breakfasts - opportunity to participate in accommodation promotion activity for £112.50 (25% discount). 
Deadline: 28 October 2011
Contact: Lucy Wearne
T: 03000 261 225 E: lucy.wearne@visitcountydurham.org

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Business Tourism

Meet in Durham is Durham’s first promotional website for the conference and meetings industry, to raise awareness of the destination and venues in the county. Funding is invested into the activities as agreed by the Durham Hotels Association partners.

Cost: £750 (£250 discount for DHA members) for an annual listing on meetindurham.co.uk / £150 for business suppliers listings
Deadline: Details available on request
Contact: Lucy Wearne
T: 03000 261 225 E: lucy.wearne@visitcountydurham.org