Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC partners, August 24, 2022

IN THIS ISSUE:

* Join Visit NC, Firsts That Last filmmakers

for live YouTube premiere tonight

* Firsts That Last 2.0 toolkit helps partners

tie-in to campaign

* North Carolina delegation at Canadian mission

* There’s still time to advertise in 2023 NC Travel Guide; space closes Sept, 29

Join Visit NC, Firsts That Last filmmakers for live YouTube premiere tonight

Join Visit NC for the Firsts That Last Film Series YouTube Premiere tonight (Wednesday) at 8 pm. The live premiere will screen all 12 of the Firsts That Last short films and include live discussion with the filmmakers and partners. The event kicks off the voting period for the Film Series Competition, where the winning filmmaker will receive the grand prize of $30,000 and additional marketing support from Visit NC.

Firsts That Last 2.0 toolkit helps partners tie-in to campaign

In the last monthly webinar, Visit NC's marketing team spotlighted the “Firsts That Last 2.0” campaign and outlined a toolkit created for partners to leverage the campaign to elevate their specific destinations. The toolkit includes guidelines for creating custom itineraries, visual assets for use in social media and email, and information on the Firsts That Last Film Seriesvoting competition. Download the toolkit and watch the webinar recording on the Visit NC partners site. For any questions, contact Visit NC’sKatie Bailey.

North Carolina delegation welcomed – and busy – during Canadian mission

Visit NC’s Heidi Walters and Margo Metzger, along with 21 other Southern partners, were in Toronto last week visiting with 37 trade/airline representatives and 60 journalists as part Travel South’s USA-Canadian mission. Other NC partners attending were the Outer Banks Visitor Bureau, Explore Brevard and Greater Raleigh CVB. Canadian travelers are North Carolina’s #1 international visitors and are excited about getting back to the U.S. after three years of limitations. For information on Visit NC's international marketing program, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762. For information on Visit NC's PR program, contact Margo Metzger at (919) 447-7783.

There’s still time to advertise in 2023 NC Travel Guide; space closes Sept, 29

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to advertise in the 2023 North Carolina Travel Guide, as the deadline closes Sept 29. The guide is Visit North Carolina's popular fulfillment piece for visitors to and within the state. The N.C. Travel Guide is available at the state's nine Welcome Centers, Visitor Centers, via the 1-800-VISIT NC Call Center, and VisitNC.com, and distributed at targeted travel- and media-related shows; plus, it is also available for distribution by any tourism-related business as an informational piece.

The readers are inspired by the guide – with 87 percent of readers saying it inspired them to take or plan a trip to North Carolina. And 64 percent save the guide to reference later.

Opportunities start at $500. View the 2023 N.C. Travel Guide Media Kit information on Visit NC’s Partners website. For more information, contact Regional Sales Director Stacey Rosseter at (678) 571-7445.

N.C. Zoo breaks ground on Asia expansion

The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro broke ground last week on a new 10-acre expansion honoring Asia. The expansion will feature tigers, Komodo Dragons, otters and alligators. It will also include classrooms and areas to get up close to some of the animals, furthering the zoo’s efforts to teach more about conservation. The exhibit is set to open in 2026. The state legislature signed off on $75 million in funding for the project in November, which includes investment for the zoo to start planning its next two expansions, bringing in animals from the Amazon and Australia. Zoo leaders say it’s their dream to make the zoo a multiple-day destination.

Bahamasair coming to RDU, bringing new Freeport flight

Bahamasair will become the 14th airline at Raleigh-Durham International Airport when it brings a flight from Grand Bahamas International Airport in Freeport, Grand Bahamas. The twice-weekly flight connecting FPO to RDU is slated to begin Nov. 17.

‘North Carolina Weekend’

For the week of Aug. 25, "North Carolina Weekend” repeats “Triad Travels,” which originally aired June 23. Featured segments include the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro; Uncle Cheesecake in High Point; Sawtooth School for Visual Art in Winston-Salem; Old Mill of Guilford in Oak Ridge; and Bright Penny Brewing Company in Mebane. (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. 

Upcoming industry meetings & events

Aug. 26-30 - SYTA Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.

Sept. 6-9 - STS Connections/ TTRA Southeast States, Concord

Sept. 8 – Visit NC webinar on Accessibility

Sept. 15 - NCAF&EFall Seminar, High Point

Sept. 21-22 – Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. Fall Meeting, Bristol, Tenn.

Oct. 1-8 – Cycle NC Mountains to Coast Ride

Oct. 13 - Visit NC webinar

Oct. 13 - Visit NC TRAC, Ocracoke

Oct. 17-19 – N.C. Recreation & Parks Assn.Conference, Greenville

Oct. 24-27 –TEAMS Conference, Oklahoma City, Okla.