Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners
April 25, 2018


IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit NC's 'Beauty Here' honored with 
Shining Example Award
* TMP certification awarded to 8 in N.C.
* Taylor recognized as Outstanding Alumna
Visit NC's 'Beauty Here' honored with STS Shining Example Award

Visit NC's "Beauty Here" marketing campaign was recognized Tuesday (last) night by Southeast Tourism Society with a Shining Example Award. The recognition was the best marketing sward for organizations with annual marketing budgets of $500,000 or more. The Shining Example award was presented to Visit NC's Wit Tuttell during STS's Connections (formerly Spring Symposium), held this week in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
 
North Carolina's HB 2 gained national attention and raised concerns from travelers with plans to visit the state. Visit NC and LGA, its advertising agency, decided it wasn't time to try and win over an entirely new set of travelers. Instead, it targeted those already familiar with North Carolina and who have likely visited previously from within top Southeastern markets of origin. The "Beauty Here" campaign repurposed limited budget resources for an unscheduled and unprecedented late summer/fall media push. The impact of the campaign during the second half of 2016 was overwhelmingly positive with potential visitors to North Carolina. After trending down 10 percent overall earlier in the year, web visits to VisitNC.com grew 72 percent year-over-year across all targeted markets. Atlanta and Nashville - the two largest markets targeted in the campaign - saw 123 percent and 116 percent growth respectively. More importantly, Visit NC's efforts including "Beauty Here" contributed to record lodging demand statewide in 2016 including a 13 percent increase in the average length of stay.
(standing, lf-rt) Tracy Brown, Chacara Harvin, Jason Weeks, Tameron Kugler, Kristen Loflin, Sarah Campbell, Jill Landen, and Jessica Bennett; (kneeling) Dan Clowdsley
TMP certification via STS' Marketing College awarded to 8 in N.C.

During Southeast Tourism Society's Connections this week, STS recognized the latest graduates of its Marketing College, which included several in N.C. Blowing Rock TDA's Tracy Brown, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority's Chacara Harvin, Currituck County T&T's Dan Clowdsley, Jill Landen and Tameron Kugler, Currituck County Parks & Recreation's Jason Weeks, Fayetteville Area CVB's Jessica Bennett, Johnston County VB's Sarah Campbell, and Onslow County Tourism's Kristen Loflin completed the three-year Marketing College curriculum, receiving a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) certification. The Marketing College graduates were recognized during STS' Connections, held earlier this week. For more than 25 years, STS Marketing College has been providing a continuing education program for the travel and tourism industry.
Taylor recognized as Outstanding Alumna

Visit NC's Marlise Taylor was recognized by N.C. State University's Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management as its Outstanding Alumna for 2018. The award, presented last week, was given "in recognition for leadership, contribution, accomplishments and service to our profession."
Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center among 'Most Beautiful Rest Stops in America'

The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center in South Mills is among Architectural Digest's "15 Most Beautiful Rest Stops in America." The recognition is the result of the Visit NC PR team's reactive pitching to the writer. Of the inclusion, the article explained, "The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center (a North Carolina Department of Transportation Visitor Center) is along U.S. Highway 17 and within the historic Dismal Swamp Canal, just south of the Virginia state line (20 minutes south of Chesapeake). Motorists can pull over and treat themselves to a stroll along a nature trail - or a quick dip in the water if they've got their own kayak or canoe - and the entrance to Dismal Swamp State Park."
American Animals has N.C. premiere at RiverRun

American Animals had its North Carolina premiere at RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem last week. (The world premiere was in January at Sundance Film Festival.) N.C. Film Office's Guy Gaster introduced the film to the audience. American Animals filmed in Belmont, Charlotte, Davidson, and Mooresville in early 2017. The project was selected to receive a rebate from the N.C. Film and Entertainment Grant and was heavily recruited to the state by the N.C. Film Office. The movie had a direct in-state spend of $6.2 million and provided 985 total job opportunities, including 237 positions for film professionals and talent.
Cyclists set up tents along the Washington waterfront  (photo courtesy Cycle NC's Facebook)
Cycle NC's Coastal Rides draws cyclists from 38 states, D.C. and Canada

Cycle North Carolina's annual Coastal Ride, held this past weekend in Washingtonl, was another sell-out event with nearly 2,100 cyclists from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada. This is the fifth year in a row that the event has sold out. In addition to the cycling routes, the CNC Coastal Ride also included many off-the-bike recreational activities in the Beaufort County area such as boat tours, kayaking, historic tours, and local art displays, plus special entertainment for the occasion.
 
Visit North Carolina is a founding sponsor of Cycle NC's Coastal Ride in the spring, the Mountain Ride in August - this year in Tryon - 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.
Nomination deadline extended for North Carolina Awards
 
The nomination period for the 2018 North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the state, has been extended to May 15. Created by the General Assembly in 1961, and administered by the N.C. Dept. of Natural & Cultural Resources, the award recognizes "notable accomplishments by North Carolina citizens" in the fields of literature, science, fine arts and public service. Award nominations may be submitted by anyone and must include a completed nomination form, cover letter, three letters of support and the nominee's biography or resume. Additional letters of support and examples of the nominee's work will also be accepted. To find out more, click here.
Hello, Sailor among 'Best New Restaurants in America'
 
Hello, Sailor in Cornelius is among GQ's "
Best New Restaurants in America" for 2018. Explained the writer, "Two of the best gumbos I've eaten in years were served to me in Seattle and North Carolina - which to many old-line New Orleanians might as well be Seattle for all the kinship it has with the Big Easy. The North Carolina version was at Hello, Sailor, a fantastical midcentury-modern surf shack located on the shore of Lake Norman, in the town of Cornelius, a half hour north of Charlotte. In the summer, I gather, the area is a bustling vacation spot; boaters can approach from the lake and tie up beneath the restaurant's patio. In the middle of winter, it appeared at the end of a pitch-dark road like a hallucination - all buttery wood ceilings, candy-colored fireplaces, and sexy curves. The food riffs on the kind of dishes you might have gotten at the building's previous incarnation as a dockside joint called the Rusty Rudder: crab dip spiked with pimiento cheese and crusted with brown-butter bread crumbs and benne seeds; fried bologna on a roll topped by a near solid caul of poppy seeds; soft serve for dessert. If the haute college-food-hall presentations sometimes veer toward too cute - ribs and shrimp calabash arrive on a tiny cafeteria tray - tastes like that of the gumbo make you forgive a lot: shrimpy, slippery, deep and inky as the water of the quiet lake outside the wide picture windows."
Dry Falls among 'Spectacular waterfalls within the USA'
 
Noting "This spring, the melt from above average snow falls is rewarding us with Spectacular sights at waterfalls around the USA." For its "Spectacular waterfalls within the USA," USA Today.com included a favorite in N.C. The article noted, "The Dry Falls near Highlands aren't so dry this spring, with water flowing heavily over the falls."
The challenges of recycling
 
Despite having a simple message, many recycling programs can be confusing and difficult for recyclers to understand. What plastic is recyclable, can empty pizza boxes be recycled, and does green glass have to be separated from clear glass? These common questions can lead would-be recyclers straight to the trash bins. The best way to encourage recycling is to make it simple and easy for customers, guests and staff to follow. Consider using bins fitted with specialized slots designated for proper material, implementing commingled recycling or developing materials to help inform customers and staff about your recycling program. It is also helpful to monitor your recycling program to ensure it is working properly. For more information on creating a successful recycle program, contact your local waste reduction contact, or contact NC GreenTravel Initiative manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140.
For the week of April 26 on North Carolina Weekend, tour Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site in Midland. Discover the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer. Step back in time at Horne Creek Farm State Historic Site in Pinnacle. "Attend" a family reunion at Somerset Place in Creswell. And explore New River State Park in Laurel Springs. (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.
For 2017, Room Demand was up 0.1 percent in the state, just surpassing the previous year's record demand, to reach a new record for lodging demand in North Carolina. More than 35.3 million room nights were sold in 2017. Since 2007, room demand is up 20 percent (and up nearly 16 percent in the last five years). For more North Carolina visitor information, contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.

Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events

Through April 26 - NASC Sports Event Symposium, Minneapolis, Minn.
May 2-3 - BRPA Annual Meeting, Bedford, Va.
May 3 - HSMAI "Meet the Meeting Planner," Charlotte & Durham
May 6-12 - National Travel & Tourism Week (Travel Rally Day May 8), nationwide
May 8 -Visit NC Travel & Tourism Board Meeting, TBD
May 16-17 - MPI-CC Meeting, Wilmington
May 17 - NC Coast Host Quarterly Meeting, Emerald Isle
May 19-23 - U.S. Travel Assn.'s IPW, Denver, Colo.
June 8 - NC Sports Assn. Quarterly Meeting, Atlantic Beach
June 14 - Visit NC's TRAC, Tarboro
June 24-29 - STS Marketing College, Dahlonega, Ga.
June 26-28 - TTRA International Conference, Coral Gables, Fla.
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