HEXHAM town council have adopted a new tourism strategy and action plan for the town in a meeting earlier this week.

On Monday evening, a working group of experts along with a set of representatives from the tourism sector showed the council the new plan which was then approved and is set to be looked into over the coming months.

A draft of the strategy that the town will follow has already gone to a public consultation earlier this year, with the document creating nearly 100 responses from residents in the town.

The working group believe the majority of the comments received regarding the plan have been extremely positive so far, and hope that this trend continues as the plan develops in preparation for Hexham beginning to recover following the Covid pandemic.

“The Strategy aims to enhance and diversify visitor experience in the town, improving Hexham's reputation as a tourist destination to help boost the local economy," said Tom Pearson, Chair of the Town Council's Community Engagement Committee.

"I would like to thank our community and business representatives who engaged with the strategy consultation and continue to shape future plans for the town.”

Plans to help the strategy move forward are already underway according to the group, with the next stage looking at the qualitative responses that have been so far received about the project.

By analysing the responses that have been provided so far, the council believe they can them create a more detailed action plan which can then begin to come into action later this spring.

Hexham town council also hope to adapt the strategy to be able to be used more longer term also and believe the plan can provide a clear image of where the town currently sits when it comes to tourism in the area.

More details about the plan are expected in the coming weeks.