Two born-and-bred Geordies are on a passion filled mission to show the world what Newcastle and the North East have to offer while helping local businesses cash in on the growing visitor economy.
North Tyneside based Fiona Surrey, known as Geordie Lass, and Mark Breillat, aka Sparky Buddy, are the people behind The Geordieland Experience, a new venture designed to bring tourism, hospitality and events together and make it easier for visitors to experience everything the region has to offer.
And their message is simple: don’t just come to Newcastle for the football – stay, explore, spend and come back.
“It’s about travelling with a purpose,” said Fiona.
“Someone might come here because they want to watch Newcastle United, but why should their experience stop when the final whistle goes?
“We can show them the history, the culture, the food, the Quayside, the bridges, the coast and everything else the North East has to offer.
“If we can turn a two-day visit into a week-long experience, that benefits the whole region.”
The Geordieland Experience has been created around what Fiona and Mark describe as a THE ecosystem – Tourism, Hospitality and Events, bringing the three sectors closer together.
They are also developing a one-stop digital solution designed to make planning a visit to Newcastle considerably easier.
At present, the pair say visitors can find themselves using numerous websites to organise accommodation, football tickets, attractions, restaurants, entertainment and other activities.Their ambition is to put that journey together in one place.
But it is their Rent a Geordie service which provides the personal touch.
Described as part concierge, tour guide, party planner and personal organiser, it can begin with collecting visitors from the airport or another point of entry and continue throughout their stay.
And it is already being put into practice.
One visitor from San Francisco will arrive in Newcastle on Christmas Eve for a week-long Geordie experience organised by the pair.
His itinerary includes hospitality at Newcastle United for the Manchester City game, stadium tours, a VIP experience with Newcastle Eagles, Christmas markets, historic tours of the city and hospitality at Nottingham Forest before he returns home on New Year’s Eve.
For Mark, who previously founded Travel Buddy Newcastle, the personal welcome is a crucial part of the experience.
“We want people coming here for the first time to feel looked after,” he said.
“We want them to have such a fantastic experience that they go home and tell their friends about Newcastle and then come back with their pals. Our aim is to have visitors arrive as tourists and leave as friends, ambassadors and, hopefully, future regulars. We are so very proud of our region, and we want to share our passion with others so they never forget the experience. That is where the real opportunity is.”
And the pair have discovered that international visitors are particularly interested in experiencing Newcastle beyond the football.
One of their favourite moments comes when they take first-time visitors down Newcastle’s steep Dean Street before revealing the Tyne and its famous bridges.
“They just stand there in awe,” said Fiona.
“To see their faces when they see the bridges and the Quayside for the first time is absolutely priceless.
“You can’t put a price on it.”
The potential economic impact is at the heart of the venture.
Every extra night a visitor spends in the region can mean additional business for accommodation providers, restaurants, bars, attractions, retailers, transport companies, tour operators and event venues.
And Fiona and Mark want to create a network where those businesses benefit from visitors staying longer and experiencing more.
“It’s about keeping the money within our local economy,” said Fiona.
“We want to connect the visitor with local businesses and make sure that when they come here, they experience as much of the North East as possible.”
The pair have backgrounds in sales, operations, retail, technology and travel.
Fiona spent 15 years in retail before moving into management with a technology company, while Mark has worked in sales and operations since the age of 18.
He later moved to Berlin to launch a UK market for an international company, becoming its UK Operations Officer, before returning home and founding Travel Buddy Newcastle in 2022.
The experience eventually brought him together with Fiona and the pair realised they shared the same passion for Newcastle and the wider North East.
They have also invested in the professional side of the business and are now IATA and TIDS registered.
And they believe the time is right to take The Geordie Land Experience to the next level.
The pair are now investment ready and are inviting conversations with people who share their belief in the region’s visitor economy.
“We are 100 per cent investment ready,” said Fiona.
“If there are passionate people out there who believe in Newcastle, believe in the North East and want to be part of what we’re building, we’d love to have a conversation.”
For two true Geordies, it is ultimately about putting their own passion for the region to work.
They want visitors to arrive as tourists and leave as friends, ambassadors and, hopefully, future regulars.
The future is bright. The future’s black and white.
For further information:
The Geordieland Experience
Tel: 07891140396
Search @thegeordielandexperience on WhatsApp.