| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | August 1, 2018 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE: * Visit NC survey seeks input, provides chance to win $3,000 co-op credit * TRAC coming to Reidsville/Rockingham County region Aug. 9
* Oscar-winning movie puts Sylva on the map
* N.C. Welcome Centers celebrate 50th anniversary Aug. 8
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Visit NC survey seeks input, provides chance to win $3,000 co-op credit Visit North Carolina is conducting an online survey of its North Carolina industry partners to gain insight and feedback in a number of program areas. The survey is available online through Aug. 10 at 5 pm. North Carolina travel industry partners completing the survey will be eligible for a random drawing that will award one N.C. organization a $3,000 co-op credit for use on VisitNC.com. To take the survey, click here.
In addition to regular travel and communication with partners throughout the year, the Visit NC team makes a special effort in late summer/early fall to visit partners across the state for Mid-Year Marketing Update sessions. This year's sessions are slated to start next month, so please stay tuned to NewsLink for locations and dates.
During these sessions, Visit NC offers a brief overview of the state of the industry, followed by an open forum discussion where it wants to hear about what is going on in partners' destinations, what their priorities are and how Visit NC can assist in bringing more visitors to their area. This year's sessions will also include a mini-Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC), where tourism-related businesses will be able to meet one-on-one with Visit NC's program managers to discuss better ways to promote their property, event or destination. |
 | | | A previous TRAC in Dunn |
TRAC coming to Reidsville/Rockingham County region Aug. 9 On Aug. 9, tourism-related businesses in Reidsville and Rockingham County - plus the surrounding counties - 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. Visit North Carolina's Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC) is a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses. TRAC will be held 10 am - 2 pm at the Penn House, 324 Maple Ave., in Reidsville; parking is off Irvin Street. There is no charge to attend, no reservation is required, and there is no PowerPoint presentation. This is a come-when-you-can/stay-as-long-as-you'd-like event opportunity for all tourism-related businesses to meet one-on-one with program managers to discuss better ways to promote their property or event. 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. Representatives from the EDPNC's BLNC, N.C. Welcome Centers/Visitor Services, N.C. State Parks, Agritourism, and NC GreenTravel are often on hand to discuss services they can provide businesses, including strategic planning, assisting with identifying funding sources and serving as liaisons with other local, state and federal agencies. For additional information on this session or to learn more about scheduling a TRAC visit to your community, contact André Nabors at (919) 447-7771. |
| | Filming during Three Billboards (photo courtesy WLOS) | |
Oscar-winning movie puts Sylva on the map In its August issue, Business North Carolina offers "Oscar-winning movie puts Sylva on the map," which looks at the effect the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has had on the area. The article notes one visitor to Sylva "drove five hours from his home to prowl Sylva, nearby Dillsboro and other film sites. 'I would have driven across the country to find Ebbing,' says the visitor. 'When I found out it was filmed only five hours away, I couldn't sleep and told my wife I had to come.' In a town increasingly dependent on tourism - it's Jackson County's top industry, with an annual impact of $188.2 million and generating more than 1,800 jobs in 2017 -Three Billboards The production company spent $12.6 million of a $15 million budget in western North Carolina, including $3.5 million for food, rent, set-building and other services. It created 353 jobs and hired 40 locals as extras... Restaurants are more crowded. Rental properties and hotels report higher occupancies. The county's chamber and tourism authority have assembled a walking and driving tour of local sites that for 34 days in mid-2016 were transformed into movie sets. In Sylva, they've stuck vinyl sidewalk aigns in front of shops that had any connection to the film... 'We knew this movie had big stars, but I don't think any of us had any idea how big the movie would become," Jackson County TDA's Nick Breedlove says. 'But when the awards started rolling in, the movie catapulted Sylva's star internationally.'"
Three Billboards was heavily recruited to the state by the NC Film Office. The feature shot in Jackson, Buncombe and Haywood counties in Summer 2016, having a direct in-state estimated spend in excess of $15 million, according to the NC Film Office. The project was selected to receive a rebate from the NC Film and Entertainment Grant. |
N.C. Welcome Centers celebrate 50th anniversary Aug. 8
Today (Wednesday) marks the 50th anniversary of the state's first Welcome Center, which opened its doors on Aug. 1, 1968 alongside Interstate 85 North in Norlina. A series of celebrations are planned to applaud the centers' years of success connecting visitors to local resources as well as the vital role the centers have played in times of disaster.
North Carolina First Lady Kristin Cooper will headline a celebration event on Aug. 8, 11 am - 1:30 pm, at the I-95 South Welcome Center in Rowland. Leaders from the Lumbee Tribe will be on hand and attendees will enjoy music and dance performances. |
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World Equestrian Games to bring visitors from 70 countries
In its August issue, Business North Carolina explains the "Monstrous impact likely from Tryon equestrian center's September event," looking at the effect of the World Equestrian Games this September at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring. "Next month, the 1,600-acre center, propelled by a $200 million investment with another $200 million being pumped in amid a swirl of construction dust and din of equipment, will host the World Equestrian Games. The quadrennial event, last held in the U.S. in 2010 in Lexington, Ky., is the equivalent of the Olympics for horses... 'This will be the largest-attended sporting event in the United States in 2018 and third-largest in the world, behind World Cup soccer and the Olympics,' says Mark Bellissimo, with Tryon Equestrian Partners LLC., not to mention the most-attended sporting event ever in North Carolina. Tickets sell for up to $1,380 for the full 13-day event, and even at that price, more than 100,000 sold in less than two weeks. From Sept. 11-23, the games will swamp hotels, motels, rented homes, campgrounds and other venues in Asheville, Charlotte, Hendersonville, Forest City, Spartanburg and other surrounding areas. "We expect the total impact to be north of $400 million," Bellissimo says. More than 400,000 visitors will come from 70 countries, and competitors from 38, including the U.S. NBC will broadcast 90 hours, much of it live - the 2014 games in Normandy, France, attracted 350,000 viewers." |
'You Are Here' sets contemporary art exhibit attendance record
The N.C. Museum of Art's exhibition "You Are Here: Light, Color, and Sound Experiences," which ran April 7 - July 22 attracted 102,544 visitors from all 100 North Carolina counties and all 50 states, plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition the NCMA, in Raleigh, hosted visitors from Great Britain, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, and Canada. "You Are Here" is the best-attended exhibition of contemporary art in the museum's history. This is the fourth NCMA exhibition to reach at least 100,000 visitors. |
NC Courage wins first ever Women's International The North Carolina Courage captured the first ever Women's International Champions Cup by defeating five-time UEFA Champions League winner Olympique Lyonnais Feminin on Sunday in Miami. NC Courage is a Division I professional women's soccer team that plays in the National Women's Soccer League. The team relocated to Cary from New York in 2017.
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August brings the 'Lakes Issue'
The August issue of Our State magazine offers "The Lakes Issue," with articles on amazing lakes, houseboats, a pontoon party, wakeboarding and more. The photo essay looks at notable ice cream spots. "Downtown" visits Belmont; "Restaurant" features The Chef and the Frog in Whiteville; and "Farm Tour" highlights Indigo Farms in Calabash. The August issue is available now. |
Measuring your progress: the key to greening success
One of the most important steps in assessing how well a business is reaching its green goals is to establish a method to measure success. To effectively monitor which sustainable practices implemented lead to reduced energy and water consumption or waste reduction, one should develop any number of record-keeping methods. Although many monitoring systems may include complex algorithms and sophisticated software, start with a simple spreadsheet that tracks monthly electricity and water usage. By using this simple method, you can see if new energy efficient measures are resulting in reduced electricity usage and really lowering bills. The same is true of monitoring water consumption and solid waste generation. This record-keeping can also assist in producing information that can be used in marketing materials. For more information on measuring your green success, contact NC GreenTravel Initiative manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140.
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| | For the week of Aug. 2 on North Carolina Weekend, discover Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site in Midland. It's all aboard at the N .C. Transportation Museum in Spencer. Step back in time at Horne Creek Farm State Historic Site in Pinnacle. Join a family reunion at Somerset Place in Creswell. And go exploring along the river at New River State Park in Laurel Springs. (Check local listings; segments 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. | Resident visitors are nearly twice as likely to make the decision to visit North Carolina within two weeks of travel than out-of-state visitors. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit the Visitor Profile Studies, or contact Visit NC's Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
Aug. 8-12 - NCMA-VMA-MCASC Regional Meeting, Greenville, S.C. Aug. 9 - Visit NC TRAC, Reidsville Aug. 11-14 - US Travel Assn's ESTO, Phoenix, Ariz. Aug. 16 - Visit NC Travel & Tourism Board Meeting, Charlotte Aug. 16 - NC Coast Host Meeting, Greenville Aug. 27-28 - NC Restaurant & Lodging Expo, Charlotte Sept. 19-20 - BRPA Regional Fall Meeting, Lynchburg, Va. Sept. 20-21 - MPI-CC XChange, Charlotte |
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