The North East has long been renowned for being a warm and welcoming place, and is fast becoming a serious area to do business in too.
The same can be said for the region’s thriving tourism and hospitality sectors.
While the ‘Beast from the East’ may have dominated news agendas and bulletins recently, the North East was equally in the spotlight in the national media and wider zeitgeist, when the Great Exhibition of the North was officially launched on 27th February.
Scores of VIPs from across the region’s business community, entrepreneurs, corporate guests and entertainers gathered for the launch of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s summer-long celebration of cultural diversity in the North of England.
The 80-day exhibition, which will take place from 22nd June to 9th September across Newcastle and Gateshead, is the largest event of its kind to be hosted in England, in 2018. When the three-month long celebration hits, there will undoubtedly be opportunities for many of the region’s bars and restaurants, hotels and other forms of accommodation for visitors to the city and region.
The entrepreneurial community, especially within the tourism and hospitality sectors, certainly have a part to play in the celebration – and all-year round, for that matter. It is the entrepreneurs and business owners who provide these vital services to guests and who are making the region a desirable place to visit. They are also the ones investing in their companies to create the jobs to deliver these services effectively, which benefits the wider economy.
Newcastle, for example, is home to a lively nightlife and array of accommodation. The Crowne Plaza, at Stephenson Quarter, is just one of the many fine hotels located in the city that proves popular for long and overnight stays, functions and events.
Malhotra Group can also count itself among the city’s leisure and hospitality elite, operating numerous bars and hotels, while fellow Entrepreneurs’ Forum member Cairn Group, boasts an equally impressive portfolio in Newcastle and throughout the North.
You’d expect bookings to be fiercely contested and possibly hard to come by this summer, especially after the official launch of the Great Exhibition of the North, but increased footfall in the region over the summer months will provide a welcome boost to the regional economy.
The latest figures from VisitBritain alone revealed that in the first half of 2017, tourists were found to be staying in the region longer, bringing in £108m – up 14% from a year earlier – which just goes to show how much tourism contributes to the North East.
Initiatives such as ‘Alive After Five’ and ‘Restaurant Week’ by NE1, the city’s Business Improvement District, are helping to drive footfall into the city centre.
Luxury serviced accommodation is another alternative to hotels, and is proving popular with people visiting the region for business, while also catering to the needs of high net worth individuals, footballers and other celebrities in town.
Properties Unique, a multi-award-winning company, which specialises in such services, offers a tailor made package for leisure and business travellers across Newcastle and Gateshead. The firm delivers a warm and welcoming environment for guests, as they are personally greeted on arrival and operate 24-hour assistance.
Then, of course, there are plenty of complexes situated outside of the region’s towns and cities, with the likes of Close House, home of last year’s prestigious British Masters golf tournament, and Rockliffe Hall to name but two of the North East’s luxurious spa and hotel locations.
It is shaping up to be another positive year for the North East, with events like the Great Exhibition of the North exemplifying the region’s credentials as a tourism hotspot that will continue to boost our burgeoning hospitality industry.
The Entrepreneurs’ Forum support more than 300 aspirational North East business owners in all sectors, helping to expand their networks, improve leadership skills, share experience, create new opportunities and grow their business.
