Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC partners, December 1, 2021 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* Register now for 2022 Visit NC 365, March 20-22 in Durham * Visit NC PR team efforts lead to N.C. sites in the spotlight * 11 counties will change tier rankings in 2022 |
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Register now for 2022 Visit NC 365, March 20-22 in Durham Early Bird Registration is now open for the 2022 Visit NC 365 Conference, in Durham March 20 - 22 at the Durham Convention Center. We are back live to celebrate tourism’s resurgence after the pandemic. The Visit NC 365 Conference, named for the year-round tourism industry across the state, brings together more than 500 of the state's tourism industry leaders during this three-day premier travel industry event. For more information or questions about the conference, contact Kelly Dawson. |
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Visit NC PR team nets Fodors.com coverage for N.C. wine As a result of the Visit NC PR team’s response to a writer for FodorsTravel.com, North Carolina is included in a roundup headlined “Forget California! 14 U.S. States That Also Make Surprisingly Good Wine." The online article noted wine production across the state before zeroing in on the 1,924-square-mile Yadkin Valley wine region and noting that it’s larger than the state of Rhode Island. Highlighted wineries included Grassy Creek Vineyards & Winery and its forest bathing trail; Elkin Creek Vineyard with its historic grist mill and wood-fired oven; Divine Llama with its 2-mile llama trek; and Old North State Winery with its “Restless Soul” of a ghost. FodorsTravel.com garners more than 1.5 million unique monthly visitors. |
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PR team's pitch leads to Historic Magnolia House in the spotlight Historic Magnolia House in Greensboro, a former Green Book site, is featured on MSN.com as the North Carolina selection in “Your state's best brand new attraction worth visiting." The coverage resulted from the Visit NC PR team’s pitch to U.K.-based LoveExploring.com, which posted the original roundup with a photo of the former motel where James Baldwin, Gladys Knight, Jackie Robinson and other notables from the Jim Crow era spent the night. A consummate restoration has brought the property back to its former glory with plans to offer overnight stays beginning this month. The coverage also included the North Carolina Civil Rights Trail, which is being developed through the N.C. African American Heritage Commission. MSN.com receives more than 225 million unique monthly visitors. |
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Omni Grove Park Inn among ‘9 ways to celebrate Christmas in the South’ The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville was included in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “9 ways to celebrate Christmas in the South.” The inclusion was the result of Christmas holiday pitching by Visit NC’s PR team. The online article selected the Omni Grove Park Inn due to its famous National Gingerbread House Competition. AJC.com garners more than 3.6 million unique monthly visitors. |
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Research shows American travelers plan more travel in 2022, spending more, too The outlook for travel in 2022 looks promising, reports Destination Analysts this week. One-third of American travelers say that they will travel more in 2022 than they did in 2021 and will spend more money on travel next year. Beaches, rural destinations and national/state parks top the list of desired destinations for American travelers, though two-thirds say they plan to visit cities. Travelers are still making up for lost travel in the new year with 39 percent saying they will increase their family travel and 33 percent saying they will increase travel with friends in 2022. When asked to describe their travel in 2022, top choice words were “hopeful,” “excited,” “fun” and “more.” |
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While excitement for travel and the general outlook for travel are positive, the majority of American travelers still believe that the virus will be a long-term issue. This week, 64 percent of Americans say that COVID will be with us long term and 56 percent believe that the U.S. will face another significant wave of the virus. Expectations for the next month declined this week as the percentage of Americans who think things will get worse surpassed the percentage who think things will get better. |
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When asked about deterrents to travel this winter, COVID-19 related concerns were the primary concerns, along with gas prices and other travel prices being high. |
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Visit NC will be providing frequent research updates through Newslink with links to available studies. |
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11 counties will change tier rankings in 2022 The N.C. Department of Commerce has released the county tier designations for 2022. The designations, which are mandated by state law, determine a variety of state funding opportunities to assist in economic development. The 40 most distressed counties are designated as Tier 1, the next 40 as Tier 2 and the 20 least distressed as Tier 3. For 2022, 11 counties will change tier designations. Counties moving to a less distressed tier include Alexander, Brunswick, Buncombe, New Hanover, Randolph and Rowan. Counties moving to a more distressed tier include Chowan, Jones, Macon, Polk and Watauga. |
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National Plan for Vacation Day Jan. 25 National Plan for Vacation Dayis set for Jan. 25, a day to encourage Americans to plan their time off - ideally to travel. National Plan for Vacation Day means to encourage Americans to declare their vacation days for the rest of the year, at the start of the year. The U.S. Travel Association will soon offer additional resources to help make a DMO's #PlanForVacation efforts a success, such as a toolkit, which should include press release and social media templates, talking points and other useful data. |
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‘North Carolina Weekend’
For the week of Dec. 4, "North Carolina Weekend" repeats the episode that originally aired Oct. 7, which highlighted Lexington. Segments feature a weekend in Lexington, including visits to Conrad & Hinkle Food Market and The Candy Factory. (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. |
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Resources for travel industry regarding COVID-19
As the travel industry is facing challenging times in the ever-changing situation of COVID-19 and its effects, there are several useful resources available to help with information, communications, planning and guidance. |
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NewsLink is a publication of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina 150 Fayetteville St., Suite 1200, Raleigh, NC 27601 |
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