One major problem is that people aren’t aware of it in the first place. For this a lack of media coverage is to blame; so many British films and TV shows are set in London, but I’ll bet you can count the number of Geordieland-based shows on one hand. It’s uncommon for, say, the subject of a national news interview to be from the North East and not the South, if not London. All this means that our region isn’t on most people’s radar at all. But why aren’t we getting more media coverage?
For starters - a small population - only 0.04% of the UK population lives in the North East, about the size of a medium-large city. But there’s a lot more to it than this: fewer people live here because over the years social and economic wealth and power has built up around London and its surrounding areas, which contributes to the association most foreigners have of the UK with nothing but London and the royals. The North East simply (but undeservedly) doesn’t have the same historical prestige. The prevalence of London-centric thinking and negative Northern stereotypes definitely is a contributor here.
The North’s geographical proximity (or rather, lack thereof) to culturally dominant London certainly doesn’t help. That said, North-Western cities like Manchester or areas like the Lakes are considered top holiday destinations, so we can’t put it down to a simple North-South divide. The Northeast could also be overshadowed by nearby Edinburgh, which, like London, has social and economic capital. The real problem isn’t straightforward distance, but transport connections and accessibility. Yes, good rail connections to the South do exist (when they’re not delayed, or cancelled, or overcrowded – looking at you, LNER…), but are incredibly expensive! It’s cheaper and quicker to fly to other parts of the country, but many people are put off flying within the same country due to climate concerns and the extra effort required. And though Newcastle has an international airport, its size and overseas connections don’t even come near those of the many London airports. So, even if you have the North East in mind as a destination, actually getting here is another story.
So what can be done to remedy this? How can we give the North East the attention and reputation it clearly deserves? To me the answer is clear: funding, funding, funding. Invest in the region to make it more attractive. Invest in promotion of said attractiveness. Make it much cheaper and ecological to get here – the transport links exist, we just need to make them accessible. One thing is for sure: it’s not the North East that needs to change – it’s everybody else’s attitude to it.