Millions more visits a big boost for region

REDCAR and Cleveland welcomed nearly four-and-a-half million visitors last year an increase of 18% on the previous 12 months and part of a general rise across the Tees Valley.

- By STUART ARNOLD Local democracy reporter

A cabinet holder's report for the council said the economic impact amounted to an estimated £268.5m, itself an increase of 8.6% from 2023. The 4.426 million visitors in 2024 also represented a 16.5% increase on figures recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic, which decimated the local tourism and hospitality industry.

The figures were reflective of the picture across the Tees Valley, which has also seen visitor numbers recover from pre-pandemic levels.

In 2024, 20.4 million people visited the region, an increase of 5% on the previous year. A total of £475m was generated from overnight stays in the Tees Valley 3.9% more than in 2019 before the coronavirus hit and £906m from day visitors, up 0.9% on 2019.

The figures were generated by a nationally-recognised economic activity model known as STEAM, which is used by local councils and draws on accommodation occupancy, visitor surveys and local economic data. The analysis revealed that tourism supports 10,035 direct jobs in the Tees Valley, of which 2,584 were associated with Redcar and Cleveland, more than a quarter of all jobs.