A study carried out to discover the best staycation cities in the UK has put Newcastle in the top 10.
It came in eighth after an index-based point system taking into consideration various social and geographical factors was applied to 69 cities across Britain.
Sunderland at 22 and Durham at 38 also fared well in the study carried out by HeatingForce.co.uk, which looked at factors including annual sunshine, annual rainfall, Airbnb prices, restaurant and ice cream shop ratings, alongside access to parks and outdoor activities.
It could be good news for the region's economy. With the Bank Holiday approaching and Covid lockdown restrictions being eased, Google trends average for ‘staycations’ has seen an 89% increase in the past month.
Alex Ion, expert from HeatingForce.co.uk, said: “As many of us have not been away for a while it is important to have an active and dynamic holiday.
"When travelling with a range of age groups, it is important to have access to a variety of activities making a city break perfect.
"With most UK cities you are never too far from rural sites for leisurely walks or challenging hikes, whilst still being based in a buzzing location with restaurants, museums and entertainment for all ages and tastes."
The study named Norwich as the best UK city for a staycation with a total score of 329 out of 500.
Second was Cambridge with a score of 319 out of 500 and Oxford third with 307.
Newcastle registered a score of 244, just one point behind Edinburgh, Sunderland 185 and Durham 142.
St Asaph in Wales came bottom of the table with a score of - 66 out of 500, followed by Armagh in Northern Ireland with -25 and City of Salford with - 15.
The 10 best UK cities for a staycation
Table shows: Rank/city/total score out of 500
1. Norwich - 329
2. Cambridge - 319
3. Oxford - 307
4. Southampton - 289
5. Bristol - 269
6. Peterborough - 263
7. Edinburgh - 245
8. Newcastle - 244
9. Inverness - 242
10. Exeter - 240
Selected others
22. Sunderland - 185
38. Durham - 142
