Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners
August  23, 2017
IN THIS ISSUE:
* Eclipse draws major media outlets to N.C.
for path of totality
* I-85 North N.C. Welcome Center closed 
due to road construction
* AVL sets record for passenger usage
* Brewery Bhavana among 'America's Best New Restaurants 2017'
(photo courtesy Lyndsey Matthews/CountryLiving.com)
Eclipse draws major media outlets to NC path of totality

Local, regional and national media joined thousands of amateur and professional sky-watchers in the Great Smoky Mountains region for Monday's once-in-a-generation, coast-to-coast total solar eclipse. Along the path of totality, destinations made the most of the celestial opportunity with special events to invite longer stays and with media hospitality to inspire future coverage.
 
The Washington Post stationed a writer in Bryson City as part of its Watch highlights from the great American eclipse roundup. Rollcall.com reported from Sylva for the piece "D.C. and N.C. Residents Look Up to the Sun." And according to The Palm Beach Post, "Solar eclipse 2017 puts sleepy town of Franklin, N.C., on the map."
 
The New York-based lifestyle editor for Hearst Digital Media joined the viewing at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman. Her report on the Country Living website proclaimed "I Traveled to Another State to See the Total Solar Eclipse and It Was Absolutely Worth It." Science writer David Dickinson, who wrote a CNN.com preview titled "Why I chase eclipses," watched the sky from PARI. Also at the event was the editor of Parents magazine, who connected with the Transylvania County tourism team at Visit NC's New York media mission. The editor and her family spent several days exploring the Lake Toxaway area and Asheville.
 
On the science front, PARI saw the return of researchers from NASA, the agency that built the facility deep in Pisgah National Forest in the early 1960s as its primary East Coast satellite-tracking facility. PARI researchers also invited 50 amateur astronomers from Italy to the viewing, which is now a public/not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing hands-on educational and research opportunities for a cross-section of users in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.
I-85 North N.C. Welcome Center closed due to road construction

The I-85-N Welcome Center in Warren County is closed for 60 days due to major road construction on I-85 southbound lanes from mile marker 233 through 213.  It's hoped the Welcome Center will reopen for travelers starting Oct. 23.
AVL sets record for passenger usage

July 2017 was the busiest single month on record at Asheville Regional Airport. For the first time in the airport's 56-year history, more than 100,000 passengers used the airport in one month. Specifically, 100,998 passengers were served by five airlines: American, Allegiant, Delta, Elite and United, an 11.6 percent increase compared to July 2016. Year-to-date, passenger numbers are up 15 percent compared to 2016 - setting the pace for another record year.
Brewery Bhavana among 'America's best new restaurants 2017'

Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh is among Bon Appetit's "Hot 10 - America's Best New Restaurants 2017." Of Brewery Bhavana, the magazine said, "On paper, it sounded like a misstep: a four-in-one concept that included a floral shop, brewery, bookstore, and, if that wasn't enough, dim sum restaurant. It's hard enough opening any of those, but four all under one roof? In San Francisco I guess, but Raleigh? I confess I was skeptical. But halfway through my second beer, a funky, peachy brett saison, I started to believe in whatever this thing was. It wasn't a concept or even a vision, it was simply an eclectic group of family and friends who decided to open a place together, each bringing their passions to the table. Best of all, it felt like a community center for like-minded locals who value diversity, open-mindedness, and, yes, Cantonese barbecue pork buns."
Thalian Hall among 'Best movie theaters in America'

For the online article "Best Movie Theaters in America," Conde Nast Traveler included Thalian Hall. Of the Wilmington theater, the photo gallery said, "One of the oldest operating theaters in the country, Thalian Hall dates back to 1858. A landmark with a flair for the dramatic, its design is a cross of classical revival and late Victorian architecture with a picture-perfect tetrastyle façade. It's a performing arts center at its core, so plan ahead to catch an independent movie on the main stage, or opt for one of the film festivals that frequent the theater throughout the year."
"10 best car-free island getaways' includes Bald Head Island

Coastal Living included Bald Head Island in its online article "10 Best Car-Free Island Getaways." Of Bald Head, it was noted, "Wave farewell to your car at the Southport, North Carolina ferry terminal as you make the two-mile crossing to Bald Head Island, a sleepy subtropical vacation community at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. You can ride a golf cart or bike to the Old Baldy lighthouse, the Maritime Market, and the pool and boardwalk at the Shoals Club, but you'll rely solely on your two feet to explore the nature preserves that cover 80 percent of the island.".
Surveys, Industry, Marketing & Travel Trends

How hotels are turning day-trippers into overnighters - Many travelers in the U.S. never set foot in a hotel during a business or leisure trip - even when it's several hours away from home, according to JLL. It's not just because of growing competition from home sharing platforms like Airbnb and VBRO. Whether they're driving or even flying to a nearby locale for a cultural event or for a business meeting, people often prefer to head in and out of their destination in one day rather than stay overnight. It's a familiar phenomenon to tourism professionals. While not all day-trippers can be converted to overnighters, there are ways hoteliers can encourage visitors to extend their trip - which will also benefit their longer-term guests. Winning over business travelers, for example, goes beyond simply offering the facilities they need to conduct business, such as great connectivity and meeting space. It might also mean providing special packages with room rates and dining options included or offering more elements of home, whether it's the ability to watch a favorite show via in-room streaming entertainment, or grab a ready-made breakfast bag for an early morning ride to the airport. For leisure travelers, it's often more about connecting them with the local events that sparked their interest in the area in the first place.

Camping today: Goodbye pup tent; hello Wi-Fi - A new wave of campers is taking to the great outdoors, though you might not find them in A-frame tents, reports The New York Times. They're in tree houses and Airstreams, king beds and plush robes, prompting campgrounds to install Wi-Fi, and inspiring start-ups to build hotel-caliber apps and websites for discovering and booking campsites with zip lines and fine food. Camping - historically an "older, Caucasian, empty-nester-type activity" as a KOA representative put it - is attracting younger, more diverse individuals and families with hectic schedules and disposable income who are seeking healthy ways to de-stress. But not on just any patch of grass. The campground atmosphere matters. They want nice patios, food service, seating areas and fire rings for groups, which says the KOA rep, is typically how millennials travel. They want activities like hiking, kayaking and mountain biking. They also want to surf - the internet, that is. In addition to Wi-Fi, campgrounds are investing in enhancements like swimming pools and zip lines, and novel places to sleep like tepees and glamping tents. These sorts of unique accommodations are blossoming throughout the country, along with slick apps and websites to find them.
No-cost ways to reduce

With utility bills going up and growing concerns about climate change, many tourism-oriented business owners are becoming increasingly interested in how they can reduce their energy consumption. Before investing in a new, and possibly expensive, energy efficient lighting system, examine current lighting policies to see if there are any no-cost measures that can be taken. Is staff turning off lights when they vacate offices and conference rooms? Is seating in dining areas planned in such a way to minimize the need for lighting? Are shades and blinds open to take advantage of sunlight? Many of these small measures can result in significant reductions in the use of artificial light and cost nothing but a few seconds of time to implement. Visit the NC GreenTravel tutorial about how to conduct a lighting audit. A complete list of energy saving practices for the tourism industry can be found on NC GreenTravel's Energy page. For more information, contact NC GreenTravel Manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140.
On North Carolina Weekend for the week of Aug. 24, celebrate river heritage at the Stokes Stomp on the Dan in Danbury. Discover the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove. Rev your engines at the Bull City Rumble 13 in Durham. Tee up at Etowah Valley Golf & Resort in Etowah. And tempt your taste buds at Yoder's Dutch Pantry in Vanceboro. (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 Weekend available online.
Overnight visitors to North Carolina spent an average of 3.7 nights in the state in 2016. This was a 13 percent increase from 2015. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit the Visitor Profile Studies or contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.


Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events

Through Aug. 25 - Travel Media Showcase, Concord
Aug. 25-29 - SYTA Conference, Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 26-29 - US Travel Assn.'s ESTO, Minneapolis, Minn.
Sept. 6 - NC Assn. of Festivals & Events Fall Seminar, Cary
Sept. 6 - NC Sports Assn. Meeting, Aberdeen
Sept. 13-14 - Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. Fall Meeting, Little Switzerland
Sept. 16-20 - VMA/NCMA/MCASC Regional Meeting and Marketplace, Roanoke, Va.
Sept. 17-18 - NCTIA Tourism Leadership Conference, Charlotte
Sept. 21 - Visit NC TRAC, Washington
Oct. 20-22 - AFCI Cineposium, Los Angeles, Calif.
Oct. 23-25 - TTRA's Marketing Outlook Forum, Baltimore, Md.
Oct. 26 - NC Coast Host Quarterly Meeting, Wilson
Oct. 27-29 - Agritourism World Summit, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Oct. 29-Nov. 3 - SATW Conference, Portland, Ore.
Oct. 30-Nov. 2 - TEAMS Conference & Expo, Orlando, Fla.
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