 In this issue:
• Ad sales start Monday for 2016
North Carolina Travel Guide
• VisitNC seeking information on unique
breakfast and brunch restaurants
• N.C. destinations promoted at Atlanta media mission
...and more
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| Ad sales start Monday for 2016 North Carolina Travel Guide |  The advertising sales campaign for the 2016 Official North Carolina Travel Guide starts this Monday, April 27. Sales representatives from Journal Communications will be meeting face-to-face with industry partners throughout the state in the coming weeks to share advertising opportunities for the Travel Guide.
The Travel Guide offers engaging editorial and captivating photography in an easy-to-read format. Features will include cross-promotion of additional content, including videos, that will also be available in an online Travel Guide and mobile app. Content will spotlight the many reasons that people visit North Carolina such as Project 543; Trails; Unusual Outdoor Activities; Farm-to-Fork Dining; Beer, Wine & Spirts; and more.
Integrated media opportunities for marketing partners include premium placement, advertising opportunities in the magazine app and exclusive video sponsorships. Space is limited and ad sales close July 31, so inquire about the options that will work best for you.
Sales representatives at Journal Communications are:
Mountains - Mary Ann Stafford at (615) 218-8271
Piedmont - Deshaun Goodrich at (865) 385-3830
Coast - Will Zanetis at (615) 668-1207
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| VisitNC seeking information on unique breakfast and brunch restaurants | The VisitNC.com team wants to help visitors sleep in on their summer vacations by telling them about restaurants that serve brunch and/or breakfast beyond early morning hours or even all day. We're especially interested in eateries that have good stories to tell – whether the restaurant uses local ingredients, serves what many feel are the best pancakes or shrimp-and-grits around, has been family-owned for generations, has a nostalgic diner feel or great patio, is family-friendly or has a great kids menu – you name it. No national chain restaurants, please, as the restaurant should be unique for that area/town.
Please submit restaurants for consideration to Jarvis Holliday by this Friday, April 24. Include the restaurant name, town/city and a short description about its breakfast or brunch menu and/or what makes the location special. Inclusion in the story is not guaranteed. To be considered, destinations must be listed in the VisitNC.com attractions database.
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| N.C. destinations promoted at Atlanta media mission |  | Durham CVB's Sam Poley,
NC Brunswick Island's Mary Huff
and two journalists
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Eighteen destination partners participated in Visit North Carolina's biennial Atlanta media dinner Tuesday (yesterday) with Director of Tourism Marketing Mark Shore, PR Manager Scott Peacock and PR Specialist Suzanne Brown. Twenty-four writers, editors and producers from print, broadcast and digital outlets – including the Atlanta Journal Constitution, CNN.com, Forbes Travel, Atlanta magazine and TravelGirl – attended the event at Bacchanalia restaurant. Participating partners included Asheville CVB, Boone/Watauga County TDA, Bryson City/Swain County TDA, Burke County TDA, Cabarrus County CVB, Chapel Hill/Orange County VB, Durham CVB, Greensboro Area CVB, Haywood County TDA, NC's Brunswick Islands, Pinehurst-Southern Pines Aberdeen Area CVB, Polk County T&T, Rockingham County TDA, Rutherford County TDA, Visit Charlotte, Visit Mayberry, Visit Winston-Salem, and Wilmington and Beaches CVB. Partners mingled with media guests at a reception, then rotated among tables during five small-plate courses, to pitch stories and build connections to generate future coverage. The menu, which was drawn from Bacchanalia's regular selection, included cheese from Goat Lady Dairy along with wine from Biltmore; beer from Mother Earth Brewing, Highland Brewing and The Duck-Rabbit; and spirits from Broadslab Distillery, TOPO Artisan Spirits and Southern Artisan Spirits. Partners and the PR team from Visit North Carolina and DCI will follow up with journalists to maximize connections from the event.
To find out more about Visit North Carolina's public relations program, contact Scott Peacock at (919) 447-7787.
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| AAA/CAA travel counselors tour Blue Ridge Parkway sites on fam |  | Fam participants at Wheels Through
Time Museum in Maggie Valley
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Visit North Carolina partnered with Virginia, Tennessee and the Blue Ridge Parkway Association to host 20 counselors from AAA and CAA to familiarize them with the areas along America's most-visited unit in the National Park System: the Blue Ridge Parkway. Industry Relations Manager Ashlee Kirk joined the group in North Carolina's mountain region during the tour, which started in Virginia on April 12 and wrapped up in Tennessee on April 19. The AAA/CAA counselors were from Georgia, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nova Scotia, Canada.
The North Carolina portion of the Parkway tour showcased Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock, Comfort Suites Boone, Lost Province Brewing Co., Mast General Store, Grandfather Mountain, Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, Chimney Rock State Park, Flat Rock Playhouse, Mountain Lodge & Conference Center Flat Rock, Mountain Inn & Suites Flat Rock, Biltmore Estate, Asheville, Wheels Through Time Museum, Haywood County, Best Western Maggie Valley, Cataloochee Ranch, Joey's Pancake House, Cherokee and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
To find out more about Visit North Carolina's group travel marketing programs, contact Ashlee Kirk at (919) 447-7765.
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| Canadian mission brings N.C. to media and tour operators |  |
(lf-rt) Outer Banks VB's Lorrie Love,
Visit North Carolina's Scott Peacock,
Visit North Carolina Canadian rep April
Beauchamp, Transylvania County
TDA's Brad Campbell, Biltmore's Leslie Brewer,
Visit Charlotte's Stephanie Lucas, and
Outer Banks VB's Aaron Tuell
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Working with partners from Biltmore, Transylvania County TDA, Outer Banks VB, and Visit Charlotte, Visit North Carolina met with 24 tour operators and media in Toronto last week. In addition, 12 travel influencers joined the group for the Charlotte Hornets vs. Toronto Raptors basketball game. PaxNews.com, a website for Canadian travel professionals, highlighted the sales/media mission in the article "North Carolina tourism holds court."
In 2013, North Carolina hosted more than 500,000 overnight Canadian visitors who spent $127 million. To find out more about Visit North Carolina's international marketing programs, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762.
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| Visit North Carolina brings TRAC to High Point May 7 |  | |
A previous TRAC in Jacksonville
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Visit North Carolina's Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC), a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses, will be held Thursday, May 7, 10 am - 2 pm at the High Point Visitors Center, located at 1634 North Main Street in High Point.
TRAC offers the chance to talk one-on-one with program managers. Tourism-related businesses in Guilford County and the surrounding region will have an opportunity to work with Visit North Carolina staff to learn about its research, development and marketing services, and discuss best practices in reaching travelers, the media and increasing tourism visitation and spending.
TRAC brings Visit North Carolina's program managers to local communities to discuss the nuts and bolts of working with the organization. This invaluable program is designed to help tourism-related businesses engage more fully with programs offered by Visit North Carolina and its partners. There is no charge to attend, no PowerPoint or "formal" presentations and no reservation is required. Tourism-related businesses are encouraged to come when they can and stay as long as they'd like.
Representatives from the EDPNC's BLNC, the N.C. departments of Commerce, Cultural Resources, and Environment and Natural Resources, and NC GreenTravel program will also be on hand to discuss services they can provide businesses including strategic planning, assisting with identifying resources, and serving as liaisons with other local, state and federal agencies. For additional information on this session, to schedule a specific appointment time – although an appointment isn't necessary – or to learn more about scheduling a TRAC visit to your community, contact André Nabors at (919) 447-7771.
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| Consider N.C. Welcome Centers in Travel & Tourism Week plans |  |
Previous Tourism Day celebration at
I-85 North Welcome Center in Warren County
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National Travel and Tourism Week and N.C. Travel & Tourism Week are May 2-10. This year, North Carolina's nine Welcome Centers are celebrating the occasion by inviting travel partners to help thank North Carolina's visitors for traveling here. Travel & Tourism Week provides an excellent opportunity to bring your message directly to visitors in the state seeking travel information. Attractions and accommodations are invited to contact individual Welcome Center managers to coordinate participation in Tourism Week; there is no charge to participate, but space is limited and reservations are required.
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| New location for Visit North Carolina research | | Research provides Visit North Carolina with critical information to support the organization's strategic mission and assists program areas with the data to plan, implement and evaluate programs. A variety of research is also available for tourism partners throughout the state. From visitor spending analyses to profile reports, the research is available to help partners make strategic decisions with regards to tourism marketing and policy at the destination level. This research can now be accessed on the partners.visitnc.com website by visiting Visit North Carolina Research. Research accessible via this page includes North Carolina Fast Facts, Economic Impact Studies, Visitor Profile Studies, Marketing Studies, NC Travel Tracker, Lodging Reports, Tax Data, Ancillary Tourism Research and even Archived Data. For more information, contact Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.
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| Cycle N.C.'s Coastal Rides draws cyclists from 24 states, 3 countries |  | |
Cyclists enjoyed live entertainment in Washington
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Cycle North Carolina's annual Coastal Ride, held this year in Washington this past weekend, brought in a record 1,477 participants from 24 states and three countries. More than 730 miles of routes throughout Beaufort, Pitt and Washington counties showcased area attractions such as Historic Bath, Belhaven Downtown Waterfront and the Roanoke River Lighthouse. Evening events were provided by the Washington TDA featuring entertainment from the coastal region. Area hotel rooms were sold out and riders shopped and dined in the area. Visit North Carolina is a founding sponsor of Cycle NC's Coastal Ride in the spring, the Mountain Ride in August in Lake Lure, and one of the founding sponsors of the Mountains to Coast ride in the fall. The rides are designed to promote North Carolina's scenic beauty while providing substantial economic impact to small towns across the state. Cycle NC offers one of the largest cross-state bicycle tours in the United States.
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| Deep South Classic returns to Raleigh, estimates more than $2.3 million economic impact |  The Deep South Classic, a girls basketball showcase for ages 12-17, returns for its second year at the Raleigh Convention Center, April 24-26, according to the Greater Raleigh CVB. This year, 400 teams, traveling from throughout the U.S., will play on 20 courts in the Center's 150,000-square-foot exhibit hall. (Last year, 328 teams participated). Although the event is held in downtown Raleigh, Deep South has contracts with 58 hotels throughout Wake County. The Greater Raleigh Sports Authority, which is the official host partner of the Deep South Classic, is projecting 8,000 total hotel room-nights and more than $2.3 million in direct visitor spending from approximately 10,000 total visitors. In addition to student-athletes, coaches and their families, tournament organizers are expecting more than 400 college coaches to attend for recruiting purposes.
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| N.C.-filmed Ashby premieres at Tribeca Film Festival | |
The N.C.-filmed independent feature Ashby premiered this week at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City as a selection in the event's "Feature Narrative" category. The production, written and directed by Tony McNamara, filmed last June-July in the Charlotte region. The film is the story of a high school student (Nat Wolff) who befriends a former CIA assassin (Mickey Rourke) who only has a few months left to live. Ashby was one of more than 50 productions to shoot in the state last year who combined had an estimated direct in-state spend in excess of $316 million while creating more than 19,000 job opportunities while filming in more than one third of the state's 100 counties.
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| The Squeeze now in limited release, available digitally and on demand |  The independent feature The Squeeze is now available digitally and on demand, in addition to seeing limited release in theaters. Filmed in the Wilmington region in Fall 2013, the film was written and directed by Terry Jastrow, and tells the story of a small-town guy who gets caught up in big-time golf matches. The Squeeze had more than a $2 million direct in-state spend while creating 80 job opportunities. Filming took place primarily in New Hanover and Pender counties.
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| Spring litter sweep begins this weekend, volunteers encouraged to participate | |
North Carolina's Spring Litter Sweep is scheduled for April 18 to May 2. The program encourages volunteers to clean up North Carolina roadsides. Volunteers were essential to the 2015 Spring Litter Sweep, removing more than 300,000 pounds of roadside litter. Spring Litter Sweep volunteers will be joined by NCDOT maintenance crews, Adopt-A-Highway groups, N.C. Dept. of Public Safety inmate crews, and community service workers, in addition to numerous local organizations. Additionally, the N.C. State Highway Patrol will be on alert and policing roads for motorists with unsecured loads and others that intentionally and unintentionally litter. The bi-annual Litter Sweeps are administered by the NCDOT Office of Beautification. For more information, call the Litter Sweep Hotline at (800) 331-5864 or click here. (For future planning, the NCDOT 2015 Fall Litter Sweep is scheduled for Sept. 19 to Oct. 3.)
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| 'Movies come to life at fan events' features Dirty Dancing Festival |  USA Today, in its Travel Experience, notes cult movies have some of the most loyal (and fanatical) enthusiasts of any fandom. Among the festivals included in its "Join the cult: Movies come to life at fan events" article is the Dirty Dancing Festival in Lake Lure. Of the festival, the article says, "Have the time of your life at the Dirty Dancing Festival at Lake Lure, N.C. in August. The festival takes place in the town where much of the popular 1987 film was shot, and every summer since 2010 the scenic mountain town has invited visitors to swing, sway, croon and dance along in the footsteps of Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. The weekend festival kicks off with a screening of Dirty Dancing on Friday night, followed by a family-friendly event on Saturday with live music, dance performances, lessons, games and the popular Lake Lift Competition. Attendees can also stay at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa where the stars rented rooms during filming or take pontoon boat tours to see where the lift scene was shot. The 2015 festival kicks off August 14."
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| Edenton among the '20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015' | |
Smithsonian.com notes "When it comes to places to take a vacation, it's easy to think of America's big cities… But America is filled with wonders that are less heralded but no less magnificent." For its annual "20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015," it suggests Edenton. Of the Chowan County town, the website says, "North Carolina's first colonial capital and a popular stop-off on the way to the Outer Banks, Edenton came in high on our list of towns packed with historic sites – almost the entire town is listed on National Register of Historic Places. A four-year restoration of the 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse (built on stilts, it seems to float above the river) just wrapped up, while other history-rich hot-spots include the Penelope Barker House, site of the first organized political action by American women (a group of 46 local ladies made worldwide headlines in 1774 when they signed a petition to boycott British tea). The town is also staying true to its roots with an expanding small farm and local food movement. In January, the Inner Banks Inn opened a farm-to-table restaurant, The Table, while the Heritage Farm Fest in June will explore the county's agrarian life pre-1950 with a variety of demonstrations from local farmers." For the fourth annual version of its list, Smthsonian.com once again worked with a geographical information company to sort the nation's small towns (those with a population under 20,000) according to their number of cultural attractions, historical sites, nature opportunities and food-and-drink destinations, then researched to find the places commemorating important anniversaries, openings, renovations, recoveries and other milestones in 2015.
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| Yadkin Valley Wine Trail 'just the ticket for a tasty getaway' |  In its Sunday Lifestyles section, The Tampa Tribune featured the Yadkin Valley Wine Trail in "N.C. wine trail just the ticket for a tasty getaway." The writer tells of being on "a 'winetinerary' along the Yadkin Valley Wine Trail, and the next stop is waiting just up the road." So included are tastings at Round Peak Vineyards, JoLo Winery & Vineyards and Brushy Mountain Winery, plus stops at the Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards and visits to Dobson and Mount Airy.
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| Pruett named new director for Richmond County TDA | | Kelly Pruett is the new executive director for the Richmond County TDA. She may be contacted at (910) 895-9057 or via kellyp@gorockingham.com.
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| Waitt named new director for N.C. Botanical Garden |  Damon Waitt is the new director for the N.C. Botanical Garden, part of UNC-CH, in Chapel Hill. Dr. Waitt may be contacted at (919) 962-0522 or via dwaitt@unc.edu.
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 | | N.C. GreenTravel: Zero waste saves materials, money | |
"Zero waste" refers to the use of waste management principles that encourage the reuse or repurposing of a resource at the end of its life cycle. Zero waste management seeks to maximize recycling, minimize waste, reduce consumption, and ensure that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into the environment or the marketplace. Zero waste management challenges badly designed business systems that use too many resources. There are various benefits associated with implementing zero waste management policies for any business. The most apparent benefit is the potential to save operation money. Zero waste strategies use fewer new raw materials, and material waste is either turned into reusable or recycled material or is suitable for use as compost. It can also help surrounding communities achieve a local economy that operates efficiently, sustains good jobs and provides a measure of self-sufficiency. For more information on zero waste initiatives, visit www.zwia.org. For information on sustainable tourism, contact NC GreenTravel program manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140, or Daniel Johnson with ECU's Center for Sustainability at (252) 737-4296.
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For the week of April 23 on North Carolina Weekend, tempt your taste buds at the BBQ Festival on the Neuse in Kinston. Take in a Charlotte Knights baseball game in Charlotte. Tour the sites of Asheville via an Electric Bike Tour. Experience the Spoon River Artworks and Market in Belhaven. And the "House Special" samples the fare at Filipino Cuisine in Angier. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions of North Carolina Weekendavailable online.
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Lodging demand – the number of hotel/motel rooms sold – reached nearly 33 million in 2013, a record in North Carolina. Each month of 2014 saw record demand. For more information, visit partners.visitnc.com's Research page or contact Director of Tourism Research Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.
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| Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events | April 27-30 - NASC Sports Event Symposium, Milwaukee, Wis.
May 2-10 – National Travel & Tourism Week, nationwide
May 2-10 – N.C. Travel & Tourism Week, statewide
May 6 – NCTIA Travel & Tourism Week Legislative Reception, Raleigh
May 6-7 – Blue Ridge Parkway Association Annual Membership Meeting, Wytheville, Va.
May 11 – NC Travel & Tourism Board Meeting, Raleigh
May 30-June 3 – U.S. Travel Association IPW, Orlando, Fla.
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15000 Weston Parkway
Cary, NC 27513 |
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