Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC partners, December 9, 2020 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit NC offers moonshine demo for German media and tour operators * Visit NC joins BedsOnline training with Travel South USA * PR team's efforts lead to Omni Grove Park Inn, Bright Black Candles on national lists |
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Visit NC offers moonshine demo for German media and tour operators Visit NC’s German office partnered with Wilkesboro TDA and Copper Barrel Distillery to do a Happy Hour Demo for German media and tour operators. Wilkesboro TDA’s Thomas Salley told the history of moonshine in the region, followed by Copper Barrel’s owner, George Smith (right), preparing a signature moonshine cocktail. All 25 participants in the virtual event were sent the ingredients ahead of the demo so they could prepare their own moonshine cocktail along with Smith, as he demonstrated for the group. While U.S. borders are still closed, Visit NC is keeping relationships open with all international media and trade. There is great interest in travel to the U.S. To find out more about Visit NC’s international marketing efforts, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762. |
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BedsOnline training with Travel South USA Visit NC’s Heidi Walters, along with representatives from Visit Raleigh, did an in-depth training for more than 100 agents on North Carolina attractions and the Count on Me Campaign, as part of a Travel South USA virtual presentation. BedsOnline also presented their hotel and attraction products, as did representatives from Nashville, Tenn., and South Carolina. The virtual event was the final component to a Travel South partnership campaign that began in October with a reboot of the North Carolina pages on BedsOnline’s site and enewsletter to its clients. Hotelbeds/BedsOnline serve both domestic and international travel agents with discounted hotel/attraction products. Receptive operators continue to be an important link to reaching potential visitors. |
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Omni Grove Park Inn among Travel + Leisure's "15 Festive Hotels in the U.S. That Make the Holiday Season Even More Magical."
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville is among Travel + Leisure’s “15 Festive Hotels in the U.S. That Make the Holiday Season Even More Magical." The writer worked with Visit NC’s PR team for suggestions and information for the online article. Of the inclusion, the article noted, "The Omni Grove Park Inn is known for its beautiful mountain views and proximity to everything Asheville has to offer, but during the holiday season, the hotel gets a sweet makeover. The hotel hosts a yearly National Gingerbread House Competition (happening virtually in 2020, so we can all join in on the fun from home), and the Great Hall Bar debuts a life-sized gingerbread house modeled after the hotel." TravelandLeisure.com has 2.3 million unique visitors per month. |
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Visit NC PR team’s story pitch leads to Durham's Bright Black Candles one of 'Black-Owned Businesses Making Travel Gifts We Love' Durham's Bright Black Candles is one of Conde Nast Traveler’s “11 Black-Owned Businesses Making Travel Gifts We Love.” Visit NC's PR team had pitched a story idea that about made-in-North Carolina gifts, which started the conversation which then progressed to the company’s inclusion in the online article. The segment mentioned three candles the company produces, including Durham, which "uses scents of tobacco, cotton, and whiskey to recall the North Carolina city."CondeNastTraveler.com has 1 million unique visitors per month. |
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The current state of the pandemic has drastically decreased Americans’ confidence that they can travel safely. Half of them feel no confidence that they can travel safely in the current environment, while only 24 percent are confident, down from nearly one-third of travelers six weeks ago, saysDestination Analysts. Americans largely think that the situation is going to worsen in the next month, and even comfort in going out for leisure activities in their own communities has declined for the last three weeks. |
Though the intent and excitement to travel right now remains low, Americans still show some openness to travel messaging. Those excited to learn about new travel experiences or destinations improved this week to 44 percent. |
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Visit NC will be providing frequent research updates through Newslink with links to available studies. |
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Actress Judy Greer 'Totally in love with Wilmington' In an interview with the Wilmington Star-News, actress Judy Greer said, “I fell totally in love with Wilmington.” Greer was promoting “Uncle Frank,” which premiered on Amazon Prime last month. “It is my favorite place to film right now. After ‘Uncle Frank,’ I started looking at real estate in Wilmington. I was just on Zillow the other day looking at a house (downtown).” Last year, Greer filmed two movies in the Wilmington area, “Uncle Frank” and “Halloween Kills,” the second installment in the reboot horror series and set to be released next October. |
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The N.C. Christmas Tree Association and the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services have provided Christmas trees for each of the state's nine Welcome Centers. All nine of the Welcome Centers are decorated with each sporting a different, beautiful look. Travel counselors at each Welcome Center are wearing masks and located behind a clear health partition. Brochures racks may be empty, but visitor information is available for visitors, as destinations and packages are provided in a Count On Me NC bag to maintain a high level of safety. So the holiday decorations are especially appreciated this year by visitors. Travelers are commenting how they are helping make the holiday season seem closer to normal for them during the pandemic. For more information on the N.C. Welcome Centers, contact Visitor Services Program Manager Wally Wazanat (919) 814-4649. |
| I-95 South N.C. Welcome Center in Rowland |
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Vote for six in N.C. among favorite Sporting Events, Planners & Destination Partners
Voting is now open for SportsEvents' Readers' Choice Awards for favorite events, sports planners and destination partners - and six in N.C. are among the nominees. Voting ends Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. EST. The top three winners in each category will be recognized in both the print and digital issues of the February issue of SportsEvents Magazine.
All-Star Destination Partners - Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission
All-Star Indoor Sports Venue - Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary
All-Star Multipurpose Sports Venue or Sports Complex - WRAL Soccer Park, Raleigh
Best Live or Virtual Sports Event of 2020 - 2020 Camping World Maui Invitational, Asheville
The Live or Virtual Sports Event to Watch in 2021 - Spikeball Roundnet Association, Raleigh - World Karting Charlotte Motor Speedway Karting Challenge, Concord |
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‘North Carolina Weekend’
For the week of Dec. 9 on "North Carolina Weekend," the program repeats the episode that originally aired Oct. 8. Featured segments include Krankies Coffee in Winston-Salem; the Roanoke River Paddle Trail near Weldon; Seagrove Orchids in Seagrove; and Benne on Eagle restaurant in Asheville. (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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