What it means to the region

The bid for Wearmouth-Jarrow to become a World Heritage Site will give the communities of Sunderland and South Tyneside an increased sense of pride, sense of place and sense of ownership of something of global importance.

Tourism makes up 10% of the region's economy and employs, directly and indirectly, 100,000 people. Evidence shows that a World Heritage Site has significant potential to increase visits to, and spend in, an area. These increases translate directly and indirectly into jobs being safeguarded and created.

A World Heritage Site, alongside the region’s other outstanding attractions, will bring excellent opportunities to demonstrate the area's qualities as a place to live and work, and to attract further inward investment, which in turn may create more jobs.