The legendary warm welcome received by visitors to NewcastleGateshead is encouraging more people to make a return visit, according to new survey conducted by NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau.
The Bureau surveyed delegates who had recently visited the region to attend a number of diverse conferences such as the European Second Language Association Annual Conference, the 9th Engineering Product and Design Education Conference, the World Travel Awards Europe and the 14th International Symposium on Actinomycete Biology.
Overall, 81 per cent of the delegates who were polled said they would return to the destination for a city break. Delegates were also ask for three words which they thought described NewcastleGateshead and the most popular words chosen were “welcoming”, “friendly”, “vibrant” and “accessible”.
Of the delegates who responded to the survey, 62 per cent travelled to the area from outside the UK, demonstrating NewcastleGateshead’s pulling power with visitors from overseas.
Jessica Roberts, head of business tourism at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, said,” I’m delighted to see that so many delegates, and particularly our international visitors, are enjoying their conference experience here so much, that they want to come back for more.
“We’re lucky to have such an array of professional and friendly staff, excellent venues and stunning locations in NewcastleGateshead. It is a combination of all these things which have helped to position NewcastleGateshead as one of the UK’s leading business tourism destinations”.
Other survey findings included the fact that 100 per cent of conference organisers rated the bureau as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ for responding to queries, quickly, and again, 100 per cent of them would use the bureau for a second time again and recommend the service to friends or colleagues.
Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive at NewcastleGateshead Initiative said, “The feedback from delegates gives us a clear message that business tourism is a driving force in attracting people to region. And once they experience all we have to offer, they quickly fall in love with the area.”
NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau was among the exhibitors at the recent IMEX exhibition in Frankfurt.
Newcastle (a city on the north bank of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (a town on the south bank of the River Tyne) in the north of England were transformed into a single cultural and cosmopolitan visitor destination now known as NewcastleGateshead.
The two places are closely linked by seven bridges across the river, and visitor attractions include galleries, live performances, sporting events, museums, restaurants, hotels and much more in both Newcastle and Gateshead. There is a pedestrian access from one city to the other via the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.