Northern has signed a deal with Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire to become one of its new strategic partners.

In this role, Northern will work with the organisation and a new network of other influential businesses in a shared commitment to promoting tourism in the Peak District and Derbyshire.

The partnership’s aim is to increase the value of the area’s visitor economy and to raise its profile as a world-class visitor destination.

Northern will champion and invest in activity that supports effective marketing of the area as a destination, and help to showcase the quality of life that the area offers to investors, residents, and students.

In addition, Northern will assist Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire to achieve the key aims highlighted in its five-year Tourism Recovery Plan, including leading the way in sustainable tourism and boosting transport connectivity.

Jo Dilley, managing director of Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “We are delighted to launch our Strategic Partnership programme with Northern, an organisation that shares our commitment to raise the value of tourism and promote the Peak District and Derbyshire as a sustainable, world-class destination.

“As well as supporting the strategic aims highlighted in our five-year Tourism Recovery Plan, Northern is a key employer in the region and plays a vital role in making the destination such a great place to live, work and visit.
“There are enormous opportunities for tourism to play a crucial role in the area’s economic recovery and we look forward to working with Northern to harness their collective expertise and achieve our long-term goals.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “The Peak Distract sits at the heart of our network and we’re excited to enter a new partnership with Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire to maximise the tourism offer for visitors. Our connectivity across the region is without parallel and the more people we can convince to ‘ditch the car and take the train’ the better.”