Visit Northumberland Lvep (dmo)

What Visit Northumberland Lvep (dmo) does

Visit Northumberland is a non-profit destination management organisation (DMO) and the official VisitEngland-accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Northumberland county in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2006 and registered as a company limited by guarantee (registration number 05771216), the organisation is headquartered at County Hall, Morpeth, with a core team of nine staff. It coordinates and promotes Northumberland's visitor economy through tiered partnership subscription packages, destination marketing, business support, training programmes such as Know Your Northumberland, and accreditation schemes including Taste of Northumberland and Dark Sky Friendly. The organisation serves two primary audiences: tourism and visitor economy businesses (B2B) across accommodation, food and drink, attractions, and hospitality, and visitors (B2C) seeking destination information and trip planning resources.

The organisation's platform comprises a B2B website at visitnorthumberland.org.uk and a consumer-facing website at visitnorthumberland.com, a mobile app launched in November 2023 via Bubltown, and marketing channels across social media, email, PR, print publications, and events. The technology stack is built on standard third-party tools: Spotler for email marketing and data storage, Bubltown for the consumer app, Monday.com for operations, and Google Analytics and reCAPTCHA for measurement and security. There is no documented developer API, no proprietary AI or ML capabilities, and no patents or trademarks. Sub-brands include Taste of Northumberland (food and drink accreditation), Know Your Northumberland (three-tier training programme), and Dark Sky Friendly (astro-tourism accommodation scheme).

Visit Northumberland's revenue model is built on annual partnership subscription fees paid by tourism businesses at multiple tiers, supplemented by local authority support from Northumberland County Council and regional/national tourism development funding, including the £2.25 million Government Destination Development Partnership award received in November 2022. The organisation operates as an industry-led entity with a private sector board and officer-level council representation, and it collaborates strategically with Destination North East England (DNEE), North East Screen, VisitEngland, and other regional partners. In 2024 the Northumberland visitor economy reached record levels of £1.443 billion total economic impact and 10.5 million visitors, providing the economic context within which the organisation operates.

Name

Visit Northumberland Lvep (dmo)

Legal name

Visit Northumberland Ltd

Website

https://www.visitnorthumberland.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Visit Northumberland is a non-profit destination management organisation and VisitEngland-accredited LVEP that promotes Northumberland's tourism economy. It supports tourism businesses through tiered partnership subscriptions, marketing, training, and accreditation schemes, serving both B2B partners and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

Keywords

• Destination management services
• Visitor economy partnership
• Tourism marketing services
• Destination promotion
• Travel industry partnership

Headquarters

HQ city

Morpeth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Partnership Fees: Tourism businesses pay for partnership packages at various tiers, each providing different levels of marketing exposure, support and benefits including website listing, social media promotion, e-marketing campaigns, and participation in destination-wide marketing activity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Visit Northumberland is the official VisitEngland-accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Northumberland, operating as an industry-led Destination Management Organisation. It sells tiered annual partnership packages to tourism businesses (hotels, restaurants, attractions, accommodation providers) that include website listings, social media promotion, email marketing, digital advertising, and participation in destination marketing activity. It also delivers the Taste of Northumberland food and drink accreditation, the Know Your Northumberland training programme, the Dark Sky Friendly accommodation scheme, and visitor-facing promotion through the visitnorthumberland.com website and mobile app.

Product overview

Visit Northumberland is the official Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for Northumberland, functioning as a destination management organisation rather than a software product company. Its core offering is the Visit Northumberland destination marketing platform, which provides partnership programmes for tourism businesses and visitor promotion. The portfolio includes three main offerings: the Visit Northumberland Platform (B2B partnership and marketing services), the Taste of Northumberland food and drink accreditation programme, and the Know Your Northumberland training programme. Additional services encompass email marketing, digital advertising, social media promotion, event promotion, filming location support, market intelligence resources, and Dark Sky Friendly accreditation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Taste of Northumberland: A programme championing local food, drink and hospitality businesses, helping them showcase authenticity, build trust, and connect with customers through a recognised mark and promotional opportunities.
• Dark Sky Friendly
• Know Your Northumberland

Products and services

• Visit Northumberland Partnership Program Tiered annual partnership packages for tourism businesses operating in Northumberland, providing different levels of marketing exposure, promotional opportunities, exclusive partner discounts, networking events, training, and business support.
• Taste of Northumberland A food and drink accreditation programme that helps Northumberland food, drink, and hospitality businesses showcase authenticity, build trust, and connect with customers through a recognised mark and promotional opportunities.
• Know Your Northumberland A destination training programme for tourism professionals and volunteers, offering Bronze (in-person), Silver (online workshops), and Gold (guided visits) tiers to build expertise and create Northumberland Ambassadors.
• Dark Sky Friendly Accreditation An accreditation scheme for Northumberland accommodation providers to attract stargazing visitors, available in two levels: Dark Sky Friendly and Dark Sky Stay & Gaze.
• Visit Northumberland Mobile App A mobile app available on iOS and Android that promotes Northumberland tourism businesses and provides visitor information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.5 million visitors and £1.443 billion economic impact in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North East ScreencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2022Partnership for filming and screen tourism initiatives. Visit Northumberland and Northumberland County Council signed the filming friendly charter together. Works to maximize the county's potential as a filming location.
• Destination North East England (DNEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDNEE is the Destination Development Partnership (DDP) for the wider North East region. Visit Northumberland works closely with DNEE to align local and regional destination development. Partners benefit from DNEE initiatives including Regenerative Tourism, Skills, Travel Trade, Excellence & Quality, Visitor Experiences, Business Events, and Funding opportunities.
• Northumberland County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Northumberland is a company limited by guarantee registered with Companies House and works closely with Northumberland County Council. The council provides officer-level representatives on the board and the organization is based at County Hall, Morpeth.
• Northumberland Small Business ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides digital marketing support through workshops and one-to-one advice including guidance on websites, social media, content and SEO best practice. Also delivers the Beyond The Kitchen Table programme for food and drink businesses.
• Food and Drink North East (FADNE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShares data for Taste of Northumberland programme administration and supporting participating businesses. Collaborates on the Produced in Northumberland scheme to improve food and drink identity in the region.
• VisitEnglandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Northumberland is the official VisitEngland-accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP). Benefits include access to DNEE initiatives, national recognition, and eligibility for national award competitions.
• Newcastle International AirportcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Media Getaway event, connecting travel PR companies and destinations with leading travel media.
• Northumberland National Park AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on the Northumberland Visitor Economy Board providing strategic oversight for the visitor economy.
• North East MuseumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on the Northumberland Visitor Economy Board.
• Forestry EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on the Northumberland Visitor Economy Board through Recreation & Public Affairs Manager.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• VisitScotland: Scotland's national tourist board operating at a much larger scale, providing destination marketing, partnership programmes, and visitor information services. Functions as a broader incumbent in the same UK tourism management space.
• Visit Wales: Wales Government national tourism body offering destination marketing, partnerships, and visitor services at a national scale, providing a broader incumbent benchmark for regional DMO partnership models.
• Tourism Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland's national tourism body delivering destination marketing, partnership programmes, and industry development. Comparable in joint public-private DMO structure and government affiliation.

Direct peers

• Visit Cornwall: Cornwall's regional DMO, matching the partnership-led model, destination marketing focus, and tiered partnership programme structure used by Visit Northumberland. Both serve as the official local visitor economy partnership for their respective UK county.
• Visit Brighton: City-level DMO delivering partnership programmes, destination marketing, and visitor information services, comparable to Visit Northumberland's B2B partnership model and tiered marketing exposure offerings.
• Visit Suffolk: County-level DMO running a partnership programme, destination marketing, and visitor information services for Suffolk. Closely comparable in service portfolio and operating model to Visit Northumberland.
• Visit York: City-level DMO delivering destination marketing, partnership programmes, and visitor information services for York, comparable in operating model to Visit Northumberland's destination marketing and partnership-led approach.
• Visit Kent: Kent's county-level DMO offering the same partnership packages, destination marketing, and business support framework as Visit Northumberland, with a comparable food and drink accreditation scheme and a similar reliance on tiered SME partnerships.
• Marketing Manchester: Manchester's destination marketing organisation running a partnership-based business model that promotes visitor economy activity, conferences, and tourism experiences in a defined geography, comparable to Visit Northumberland's regional remit.

Regional players

• Destination North East England (DNEE): Regional Destination Development Partnership covering the broader North East England region. Operates one tier above Visit Northumberland, providing strategic programmes (regenerative tourism, skills, travel trade) that complement the DMO's local activity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/visitnorthumberland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzJd8tqV3e0x1q1xXQ-yzZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/visitnorthumberland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northumberland-tourism
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitnorthumberland
• Pinterestpinterest.com/visitnorthumberland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Visit Northumberland Lvep (dmo)