Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC partners, December 16, 2020 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit NC webinar on Jan. 6 looks at Tourism Promotion Grants, new Partner Survey * Count On Me NC digital tradeshow series wraps up * Visit NC PR efforts result in several placements |
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Visit NC webinar on Jan. 6 looks at Tourism Promotion Grants, new Partner Survey
Visit NC’s next webinar will be Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. Visit NC will share a wrap-up on the marketing grants program in conjunction with the NC Travel Industry Association, as well as review documentation and reports needing to be submitted by recipients. Visit NC staff will also discuss a partner survey that will be sent out that week, seeking input from partners to help shape the FY 2022 Co-op program. Click here to register.
In the meantime, recordings of the Visit NC webinars are available here. Visit NC's webinar topics and registration information will be posted as available on Partners.VisitNC - COVID-19 and Visit NC 365. In a continuing effort to foster collaboration through the COVID-19 crisis, Visit NC and NCTIA have been hosting bi-weekly, regional online meetings for DMOs across the state. The next DMO Forums will be Tuesday, Jan. 12. |
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Visit North Carolina contracted with NorthStar Meetings Group to create a digital trade show series focused on educating meeting planners on what destinations are doing across the state to safely welcome back meetings and events. Visit NC was able to get the trade show series created due to CARES Act funding. Meeting and event planners learned about the variety of opportunities the state offers organizations, associations and planners booking future programs. At each half-day digital event, planners “moved around” the digital ballroom to meet in small groups with destinations from across North Carolina and hear firsthand how the state is working towards recovery. There were digital networking opportunities and attendees at each event were automatically entered into a prize drawing of Visit NC experiences. Participating partners included Explore Asheville CVB, Cabarrus County CVB, Chapel Hill/Orange County VB, Durham CVB, Greater Raleigh CVB, Greenville-Pitt County CVB, Hickory Metro CVB, Mooresville CVB, Outer Banks VB, Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen Area CVB, Sanford TDA, and Wilmington and Beaches CVB. |
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Chetola Resort’s Festival of Lights among ‘Places You Can Go to Celebrate Christmas While Maintaining Social Distance’
Chetola Resort’s Festival of Lights, in Blowing Rock, was included in Martha Stewart magazine’s “Places You Can Go to Celebrate Christmas While Maintaining Social Distance.” The inclusion in the online article was the result of pitching by Visit NC’s PR team along with information provided by by Chetola. Of the festival, the online piece noted in part, “Take in close to 30,000 dazzling lights without leaving your car at Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock's free Festival of Lights. Stop by at dusk for the start of the show or drive in any time before 10 p.m. A new nativity scene accompanied by a merry melody, an appearance by Rudolph, and a performance of ice skaters on Chetola Lake bring the event oh-so-magically to life.” MarthaStewart.com scores 3.4 million unique visits per month. |
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Visit NC’s virtual media mission leads to Broadslab Distillery in Canadian spotlight The efforts of Visit NC’s PR team led to a segment highlighting Broadslab Distillery in Benson that aired last week on CHCH-TV in Ontario. The segment, “Holiday traditions to bring home,” included moonshine-laced eggnog made from fifth-generation moonshiner Jeremy Norton’s recipe and suggested a distillery tour for North Carolina-bound travelers. The placement grew out of the Johnston County VB’s participation in Visit NC’s 2020 Canada media mission. CHCH-TV has a viewership of 687,000 and reaches 92 percent of Ontario households. |
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Visit NC PR team’s N.C.-made gift ideas pitching lead to Butterfields inclusion
Due to the efforts of the Visit NC PR team, Escapism Toronto included Butterfields candies in Nashville in a roundup of “14 Travel Holiday Gifts for Every Globetrotter on Your List.” The PR team distributed a list of gift ideas from North Carolina that included Butterfields, and the medium’s editors took a liking to the candy. Escapism Toronto, a travel-focused magazine based in Toronto, reaches 60,000 unique monthly visitors. |
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SportsNC's first virtual sales mission Visit NC's Amanda Baker led SportsNC's first virtual sports sales mission last week, where partners participated in meetings with N.C. sports organizations in a virtual platform. Partners learned more about what sports event organizers look for from host destinations/facilities and had the opportunity to market themselves for future events. For more information on the SportsNC virtual sales mission, or for more ways to partner with Visit North Carolina on sports marketing, contact Amanda Baker at (919) 447-7765. |
| (screenshot from the virtual sales mission) |
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Visit NC at virtual Travel + Adventure Show Visit NC's André Nabors participated in a Travel & Adventure Show last Wednesday, along with Heart of NC VB, High Point CVB, Johnston County VB, Lexington TA and New Bern CVB. The virtual consumer show produced 507 leads. This is a new show offered by TAS and Visit NC was able to use CARES funding to participate. TAS plans to have more virtual shows in the winter and anticipates returning to live shows in Fall 2021. To find out more or to participate in a consumer travel show, contact André Naborsat (919) 447-7771. |
| Andre Nabors “manning” the Visit NC virtual booth |
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Research shows traveler anxiety continues, along with financial worries American traveler anxiety regarding the coronavirus increased again this week, with more than 73 percent concerned about personally contracting the virus and 78 percent worried about a friend/family member contracting the virus. Financial worries are also growing and these anxieties are grossly affecting travel sentiment right now, according to Destination Analysts. More than half of Americans say that they would feel guilty traveling right now and nearly half say they have lost the interest to travel in the short term. In fact, 48 percent report they have cancelled or postponed a trip specifically because of this current surge in cases and 63 percent say the recent surge has made them less likely to travel in the next three months. |
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The good news, if there is any, is that the outlook for later in 2021 is more positive, due in part to the vaccine process being moved ahead. With vaccines imminent, while the percentage of Americans who say they will not travel increased this week to 62 percent from 53 percent last week, 51 percent of Americans say that vaccine developments make them more optimistic that they will be able to travel safely in the next six months. |
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With that, Americans are still receptive to travel marketing. About half of them showed a higher degree of excitement about taking a getaway soon this week and nearly half have a high level of openness to travel inspiration for future trips. More than half note that travel ads they have seen recently made them feel happy. |
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Visit NC will be providing frequent research updates through Newslink with links to available studies. |
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Business North Carolina’s Travel & Tourism round table in December issue In its December issue, Business North Carolina magazine offered “Vacation Planning” (pages 32-40), a round table discussion focusing on Travel & Tourism. The magazine gathered seven experts to talk about the pandemic's impact on their industry, how they are coping and what the new year will bring. The tourism panel was comprised of Visit NC's Wit Tuttell, Henderson County TDA's Beth Carden, Wilmington and Beaches CVB's Kim Hufham, Pinehurst Resort's Eric Kuester, Greenville-Pitt County CVB's Andrew Schmidt, Explore Asheville CVB's Marla Tambellini, and Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen Area CVB's Phil Werz. |
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‘At Least 34 Million Fewer Americans to Travel This Holiday Season’ AAA Travel expects the vast majority of Americans to stay home this holiday season. Public health concerns and travel guidance are influencing their decisions not to travel during the year-end holidays, a period that typically sees high demand for vacations. While AAA expects at least 34 million fewer travelers compared to last year’s holiday season, as many as 84.5 million Americans may still travel from Dec. 23 through Jan. 3, a decline in travel of at least 29 percent. |
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N.C. markers dedicated for new Lafayette Trail The Lafayette Trail, a new project mapping the journey of America’s favorite fighting Frenchman on his 1824-25 Triumphal Tour, reached North Carolina last week with the dedication of a marker in Jackson, in addition to markers in Enfield, Conway and Raleigh. Created in Maryland in 2017, the Lafayette Trail aims to install at least 175 markers in 25 states before the bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette’s historic tour. At the invitation of President James Monroe, Lafayette spent more than a year in the United States, where dignitaries greeted him, citizens cheered and monuments were unveiled as thanks for his heroism nearly 50 years earlier during the American Revolution. Most of his stops in North Carolina, which also included Murfreesboro, Halifax and Fayetteville, are featured on theLafayette’s Tour Scenic Byway. Fayetteville, the first and most populous of about 70 U.S. towns and villages named in his honor and the only one he visited, is home to its ownLafayette Trailand the Lafayette Society. In addition to commemorating the major general’s military service, the new trail honors Lafayette’s legacy as the first international proponent of human rights, including the abolition of slavery. |
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Deadline for July - December Top 20 Events nominations Jan. 29
The deadline for nominating events for Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 events for July - December 2021 is Jan. 29. Nominated events must have an attendance of at least 1,000 and be in the third year of existence. Nominations for STS' Top 20 Events can now be submitted electronically via an online form. Top 20 Events strongly encourages entrants to support their nomination by providing supporting material such as photos, posters, brochures, press releases, news clippings and/or volunteer programs. There is a $30 entry fee per event nomination; events do not have to be a member of STS to participate. |
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Steenson new director for Pamlico County Chamber Debora Steenson is the new executive director for the Pamlico County Chamber of Commerce. She may be contacted at (252) 745-3008 or via pamlicochamber@gmail.com. |
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Henderson County TDA seeking executive director
The Henderson County TDA is seeking an executive director, as Beth Carden is retiring in Spring 2021. To view the full description or to submit an application, click here. The position is open until filled. |
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‘North Carolina Weekend’
For the week of Dec. 17 on "North Carolina Weekend," the program repeats the episode that originally aired Oct. 15. Featured segments include RV camping in Brevard; Café Madeleine Bakery and Wine in Farmville; Pettigrew State Park in Creswell; Stone Ashe Vineyards in Hendersonville; and Parahdise Sculpture in Greenville. (Check local listings for schedule; segments are subject to change.) "North Carolina Weekend" is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV 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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