Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC partners - August 23, 2023
IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit NC at ESTO
* ‘The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On’ premieres today
Visit NC at ESTO
Visit North Carolina's Wit Tuttell, Katie Bailey, Veda Gilbert, Scott Peacock and Heidi Walters attended ESTO this week in Savannah, Ga. Partners from across North Carolina, along with N.C. Department of Commerce's Wally Wazan, also joined the group.
Peacock was a panelist for “Holistic-Led Organizations: Advancing Destination Stewardship." The session explored how a DMO can prioritize sustainable development and positive resident sentiment without abandoning economic objectives. Panelists discussed specific challenges faced in urban and great outdoor destinations, as well as KPIs that provide data-driven benchmarks to inform destination stewardship planning and reporting of results. Peacock discussed Outdoor NC, its evolution and lessons learned from marketing sustainable travel practices to residents and visitors alike.
N.C.-filmed 'The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On' premieres today
Season 2 of Netflix's dating series “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On" premieres today (Wednesday). The series filmed in the greater Charlotte area. Season 2 features five couples in loving relationships yet rife with hesitation, who are risking it all to determine whether to break up or get engaged. One person issues an ultimatum, and from there, each couple embarks on a transformative journey that could change the course of their lives forever. Episodes 1-8 of “The Ultimatum” start streaming today (Wednesday), while the final two installments of the season will be available starting on Aug. 30. The project is anticipated to have had a direct in-state spend of more than $6 million and was approved for a
rebate via the N.C. Film & Entertainment Grant. View the trailer here.
Research notes ‘sticker shock’ affecting travel decisions
More than a third of travelers report that they experienced “sticker shock” the last time they were planning a trip, according to recent research by Destination Analysts. Hotel rates and airfare topped the list of travel expenses that caused this sticker shock, followed by food/dining costs and entertainment costs.
Travelers reported that upon experiencing this sticker shock, they adjusted their plans by finding less expensive ways to travel, increasing their overall budgets and choosing a less expensive destination. However, 15 percent cancelled their plans.
Among travelers who plan to travel during the next three months, nearly half say they will seek out free local attractions or landmarks, and nearly 40 percent say they will visit public parks or outdoor recreational areas. Other ways to cut back on entertainment/recreation expenses include free/discounted museum days, free/low-cost concerts, self-guided tours and discounts. More than 20 percent of travelers say they will use a National or State park pass.
Visit NC will be providing frequent research updates through NewsLink with links to available studies.
Vote for N.C. nominations among ‘Best of Halloween’
North Carolina has two nominations among different categories as part of USA Today’s 10Best’s “Best of Halloween.” Daily online voting is open until noon on Sept. 18.
Best Theme Park Halloween Event – SCarowinds, Carowinds, Charlotte
National Park visitation set a record high with $50.3 billion for U.S. economy in 2022, $2.5 billion to N.C’s The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Monday that visitor spending in communities near national parks in 2022 resulted in a $50.3 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 378,400 jobs. According to the National Park Service release “National Park Visitation Sets New Record as Economic Engines,” nearly 312 million visitors spent $23.9 billion in communities within 60 miles of a national park. Of the 378,400 jobs supported by visitor spending, 314,600 jobs were in park gateway communities.
Per the report for North Carolina in 2022, 20.1 million park visitors spent an estimated $2.5 billion in local gateway regions while visiting National Park Service lands in North Carolina. These expenditures supported a total of 37.5 thousand jobs, $1.5 billion in labor income, $2.3 billion in value added, and $4.0 billion in economic output in the North Carolina economy. The report found that the Mountain region's three national park units – Blue Ridge Parkway (including Va.), Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (including Tenn.) – hosted more than 28.7 million visitors. These travelers spent nearly $3.4 billion, supporting almost 50,500 local jobs.
The one Piedmont region national park unit – Guilford Courthouse National Military Park – welcomed more than 389,000 visitors, who spent nearly $25.7 million, supporting 374 local jobs.
The report for the Coast region national park units – Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Moores Creek National Battlefield and Wright Brothers National Memorial – showed nearly 4.2 million visitors to these sites. Visitors spent more than $723 million, supporting 11,364 local jobs.
Hendersonville, Brevard say $55 million greenway makes business sense
Construction on an almost 20-mile greenway in western North Carolina will begin soon, eventually connecting Hendersonville and Brevard, reported Business North Carolina in “WNC towns say $55 million greenway makes business sense
.” Built on top of an abandoned rail line, the trail will have an elevation increase of only 20 feet, unique for this mountain area, potentially appealing to those who prefer to walk or bicycle on flat land. The first six miles – beginning in downtown Hendersonville – should be completed within 12 months; the project should be done within three to five years. There are three new breweries, a restaurant about to open and other businesses along its planned path, which parallels U.S. 64. Henderson County TDA's Michelle Owens expects 40 percent of those who use the trail will come from outside Henderson and Transylvania counties.
Total cost for the Ecusta Trail Greenway will be about $55 million; the federal government has already pledged $46 million. While the article mentioned “sticker shock,” N.C. State University's Initiative for Community Growth and Development's Charles Fink explained communities should look at the return on investment from the so-called “experience economy” in addition to just the initial costs. Part of that includes ensuring enough is spent on a project to turn it into a destination.
For the week of Aug. 24, "North Carolina Weekend” highlights “Coastal Gems,” which originally aired on June 8. Featured segments include Sanctuary Vineyards in Jarvisburg; Beaufort Grocery Company in Beaufort; Britt’s Donut Shop in Carolina Beach; N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores; and Nags Head Woods Nature Preserve in Kill Devil Hills. Check local listings for schedule; segments are subject to change.)
"North Carolina Weekend" is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, PBS North Carolina has recent editions of "North Carolina Weekend" available online.
Visit North Carolina is part of Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
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