- By Helen Richardson
- BBC Newcastle
tourism businesses in the north-east of England say there are challenges adapting to a changing market.
The region had the lowest number of tourists visiting in 2022 compared to any other region in the UK, according to figures released by Visit Britain.
Businesses said rising energy costs and staff shortages were undermining efforts to resurrect the industry.
The government pilot, which is called Destination North East England, was launched in 2022 and is being rolled out across the region’s seven local authority areas.
The funding came as it was revealed the North East received a total of 65.6 million visitors in 2022, which was down from 73 million in 2019.
The partnership ties together Visit Northumberland, the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative and Visit County Durham, in a bid to target investment, new businesses and jobs.