In preparation for its annual strategic planning process, 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. It is critical to the evolution of Visit North Carolina's marketing efforts on behalf of the state. This is your chance to tell us what you need - and this is a great, yet simple and quick, way to do so.

The survey is available online through this Friday 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.

The results of this survey will be discussed at the regional Listening Sessions in the fall. Please make every effort to attend the meeting in your area as it will be your chance to speak up about your needs as Visit North Carolina develops its strategic plan for the coming fiscal year. Meetings will be tailored to feature regional data, too.

Audiences, geographic markets, cooperative programs and industry communications are among the topics covered in the survey. Survey results will be used to help shape Visit North Carolina's priorities for the 2016-17 fiscal year plan, which will be introduced to the industry at the Visit North Carolina 365 Conference in Cherokee next March.

Click here to access the survey. Visit North Carolina welcomes the input and appreciates industry partners' participation and support.

Ashlee Kirk (rt) with Biltmore Farms Hotels' Corky Cordell (lf) and Bill Eaton

Industry Relations Manager Ashlee Kirk met with Asheville area group travel partners yesterday (Tuesday) at the Asheville CVB offices. More than 20 tourism industry representatives from area hotels, restaurants and attractions came to learn about ways to partner with Visit North Carolina, with the goal to increase domestic group travel to the state. Attendees were able to provide updates and share success stories, encouraging collaboration to effectively promote group tour travel to the area. For ways to participate in statewide domestic group travel marketing opportunities, please contact Ashlee Kirk at (919) 447-7765.

Andre Nabors (rt) with attendees at a previous TRAC in New Bern

Tourism-related businesses in the Blowing Rock region - including 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), a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses, will be held 10 am - 2 pm at the American Legion Building on 333 Wallingford St. in Blowing Rock on Aug. 27. The TRAC session is being held in partnership with the Blowing Rock TDA.

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. There is no charge to attend, no reservation is required, and there will be no PowerPoint presentations.

Representatives from the EDPNC's BLNC, N.C. Dept. of Commerce, N.C. Dept. of Cultural Resources and NC GreenTravel will also be 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, to schedule a specific appointment time - although one isn't necessary, as this is a come-when-you-can/stay-as-long-as-you'd-like event - or to learn more about scheduling a TRAC visit to your community, contact André Nabors at (919) 447-7771.

Visit North Carolina's inaugural digital influencer campaign has underscored the power of social media by generating more than $325,000 in media value and reaching millions of prospective travelers. Coverage of influencer Matt Long's trip was anchored by his LandLopers blog and extended by its associated social media platforms - and by a first-time takeover of Visit North Carolina's Instagram account.

Partnering with the Outer Banks VB, the Chowan County TDA, the Kinston-Lenoir County CVB, the Durham CVB and the Pittsboro-Siler City CVB, the public relations team sponsored Long's exploration of the state on a six-day journey in late July. Live posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ gave followers a chance to tag along as the landloper visited the Sanderling Resort in Duck, the waterfront in Edenton, the art-filled streets of Kinston, the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, Modern Life Deli & Drinks in Pittsboro and other points of interest. Full blog articles posted so far include Hang Gliding With The Wright Brothers In The Outer Banks and What Exactly Is North Carolina BBQ & Why Should You Care? and Country Luxury in North Carolina - The Fearrington House Inn, which gained value from Long's association with Trivago.com.

Long's visit also included a takeover of Visit North Carolina's Instagram account for part of his stay. Images of Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, The O'Neil boutique hotel in Kinston and other subjects engaged Visit North Carolina's following and extended Long's reach beyond LandLopers. Visit North Carolina used the takeover as a test run for a fall digital influencer campaign to further spotlight the state in the digital sphere.

Landlopers.com has 33,218 unique monthly readers. The estimates of a reach of 7.7 million and a media value of $327,298 are based on a formula that factors in the number of posts, the size and engagement of Long's following, and an assumption of 10 percent readership per post. In addition to Long's original posts, the visit saw 142 retweets, including the most popular, which was retweeted 18 times: Ok Edenton I get it, you're really good lookin' :) #visitnc @VisitNC.