Hepple Wilds: Developing the Travel Trade offer
The Challenge
How can a place welcome visitors in a way that makes sense for both the landscape and the business? At Hepple Wilds, Richard Thompson was exploring opportunities ranging from private visits and group experiences to ticketed events, courses and workshops. The task was to find a manageable way forward, balancing income with experiences rooted in the character of the place.
There was an opportunity to connect with visitors interested in rewilding, ecology and the outdoors. Rather than pursuing growth for its own sake, our approach was to identify where those interests could meet Hepple Wilds’ offer, with respect for the landscape and a realistic understanding of what the estate could deliver.
Our Approach
Through a 12-hour BIPC Citylife* business support grant, Northern Latitude’s Simon Laing worked alongside Richard to explore the options and develop a place-based, market-ready offer. Our guiding principle was that commercial viability and care for place should be considered together, not as competing priorities.
We reviewed potential audiences, income, organisational demands and opportunities to work with partners. Private experiences emerged as a promising starting point: they offered stronger income potential and were comparatively straightforward for the estate to organise. This provided a practical focus for developing the visitor offer without trying to pursue every possibility at once.
We then explored how specialist small group travel operators could connect Hepple Wilds with people already curious about rewilding, outdoor experiences and ecology. To make those connections possible, our support combined:
Developing a product information sheet tailored to travel trade buyers
Supporting Richard to create a dedicated travel trade website
Providing access to a media library to help operators promote the experience
Helping organise a familiarisation visit for UK travel trade buyers in October 2026
Exploring destination marketing opportunities and the resources tourism partners would need to represent Hepple Wilds at trade shows and exhibitions
The purpose was not simply to make an experience easier to sell. It was to help suitable travel partners understand Hepple Wilds and communicate its offer thoughtfully, while giving Richard practical resources to develop this part of the business. This reflects our approach to regenerative tourism: starting with the place, considering how tourism might contribute positively, and building a viable route to welcoming visitors.
The Outcome
Hepple Wilds now has a clearer direction for its private visitor experiences, supported by a dedicated travel trade website, a product information sheet and high-quality imagery. These resources help potential partners understand the experience and share it with audiences interested in nature and place.
A familiarisation visit in October 2026 introduced UK travel trade buyers to Hepple Wilds first-hand. We also explored opportunities to work with regional tourism organisations, helping Richard identify how the offer could reach suitable partners through their networks and events.
The immediate result is a focused, market-ready offer and a practical foundation for future bookings, including from international visitors. The longer-term ambition is to develop tourism that is financially worthwhile and respectful of the landscape. Booking growth and any wider regenerative benefits remain outcomes to explore and assess, rather than impacts we can claim at this stage.
Our Role
At Northern Latitude, we believe tourism can make places better. We help businesses and destinations develop experiences that visitors love, creating lasting value for people, communities and nature. Our work brings together respect for place, regenerative ambition and the practical understanding needed to make experiences market-ready.
Whether you are exploring a new visitor experience or finding a more purposeful direction for an existing offer, we work alongside you to understand what makes your place special, who it will resonate with and how to bring it to life. Place-based. Regenerative. Market-ready.
*BIPC Citylife business support grants are funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (North East MSA).