| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | December 6, 2017 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* North Carolina delegation at Travel South International Showcase * #NCFallofFame wraps with strong numbers
* Visit NC PR efforts lead to High Country, Wilkes in Canadian spotlight
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 North Carolina delegation attends Travel South International Showcase The 6th annual Travel South International Showcase, held last week in Charleston, S.C., set a record number of international tour operators interested in selling the southern U.S. More than 100 qualified International tour operators from more than 20 countries met with southern tourism offices, attractions and hotels during the event. Visit NC's Executive Director Wit Tuttell and Director of Partner & Industry Relations Heidi Walters, along with several partners from the Coast, Piedmont and Mountain regions, met with international tour operators and media to increase interest in international visitation to North Carolina. The annual tradeshow is dedicated to increasing international tourism to the southern United States. Partners included Asheville Outlets, Biltmore, Explore Asheville, Cabarrus County CVB, Southern Grace Distillery, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Greater Raleigh CVB, The Umstead Hotel and Spa, Outer Banks VB, Kitty Hawk Kites, Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks Kitty Hawk, Winston-Salem CVB, Historic Brookstown Inn, High Country Host, Courtyard Marriott Boone and Panoramic Hospitality. More than 780,000 overseas visitors came to North Carolina in 2016. International visitors spend more and stay longer than domestic visitors. For more information on the Visit North Carolina's international marketing program, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762. |
 #NCFallofFame wraps with strong numbers The third year of featuring #NCFallofFame as the Visit NC fall campaign was another huge success, generating strong traffic and engagement across platforms. Highlights from the campaign include: - #NCFallofFame saw a 17 percent increase in hashtag use, 30 percent increase in impressions, and 107 percent increase in engagements.
- New themed countdown videos earned 106,867 video views - an 89 percent increase from the 2016 countdown push.
- Nearly 150 individual reports were written and published on VisitNC.com, generating 88,400 pageviews and 6,100 downstream referrals.
- Social channels featured fall reports in a new way this year, with the addition of a bigger photo pool; the 42 fall reports posts drove 773,237 social impressions and 30,262 clicks to the fall reports pages.
- Fall reports locations included approximately 25 N.C. State Parks, three national parks, two national forests, several downtown scenes, beaches, a vineyard, and fishing reports for the coast from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
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 Visit NC PR efforts lead to High Country, Wilkes in Canadian spotlight
The High Country and Surry County were featured in recent coverage in the Toronto Sun, Calgary Sun and Canoe.com. Visit NC's PR team arranged the trip for freelance writer Jim Byers, who also published the article on his personal website as "Hilltop Hikes, Marvellous Wine And A Generous Helping Of Moonshine." Subtitled "The Joys of a North Carolina Getaway," Byers detailed a trip that included Blue Ridge Parkway and Stone Mountain hikes; kayaking in Elkin; wineries in Wilkes and Surry counties; breweries in Boone and Elkin; distilleries in Wilkes; and Surry's signature dessert, the cobbler-like treat called sonker, at Miss Angel's Heavenly Pies in Mount Airy. Byers was hosted by the Boone Area VB, Blowing Rock TDA, Greater Mount Airy Chamber and Wilkes TDA. |
 New Jersey Monthly print co-op - last call
Looking to target New Jersey residents with your destination messaging? Now is the chance to participate in the Retire NC print co-op in New Jersey Monthly. Sign up today to reserve your spot before it's too late. Full details of the co-op are below. Please contact Michelle Reino with LGA at (704) 552-6565 to get started on the next steps. * Directory Investment: $500 per partner for Certified Retirement Communities or $1,000 per partner for non-Certified Retirement Communities * Circulation: 87,290, Geography: New Jersey, Median age: 60, Female: 59 percent, Average HH income: $206,000 * Deadline for materials: Jan. 26 |
 Baseball's Down East Wood Ducks assured in Kinston through 2031
Kinston officially extended the Down East Wood Ducks' contract this week, assuring fans the popular minor league team will be there at least until 2031. The teams is a Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The contract also allows additional funds in the future for capital improvements, said Wade Howell with the Down East Wood Ducks. About $1.2 million in capital improvement funding was agreed on to do the final phase of renovations to Grainger Stadium, such as adding a hospitality area. |
 Durham to host 2019 USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships |
 | | | (photo by Ken Elkins, for CBJ article) |
New signage in Cabarrus guides visitors to attractions
Last week, the first of 58 signs was dedicated for a new sign system in Cabarrus County, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. When complete, the system will guide visitors to other sites in the county to help them fill their visits with activities. "It's a connect system," John Mills with Cabarrus County CVB said. The county sign system will be supplemented by other signs in Concord, Mount Pleasant and Midland. Kannapolis and Harrisburg have already started their systems. A Cabarrus CVB 2020 Vision Plan, which started back in 2011, found that connectivity was the second-biggest problem for tourists visiting the county. The way-finding sign system is one solution to the problem, said Donna Carpenter with the Cabarrus County CVB. |
 Solar-powered beer: Inside Birdsong brewing's $110K investment
Birdsong Brewing Co. says the final solar panels to its 75-kilowatt system should be in place by the end of the week, reports the Charlotte Business Journal. In total, Birdsong will have 220 solar panels on the roof of its facility in the Belmont. The system can produce up to 12,000 kilowatt-hours each month. Birdsong expects to generate 50 percent of its power needs - and slash its $30,000 in annual energy costs in half. The project cost roughly $110,000, which reflects a federal tax credit and reduced property taxes. Others in the Tar Heel State tapping into solar's potential include Highland Brewing, New Belgium and Sierra Nevada. |
 Vote for N.C. sites for best of 2017
North Carolina has two sites among the nominations for two 10Best's Readers' Choice Awards for Best of 2017: Best New Restaurant and Best New Attraction. Online voting by readers is now open via USAToday.com's website; click on the hyperlink to vote. Voting ends Jan. 1 at noon. Best New Attraction - H2OBX, Powells Point |
 Boone area featured on international mountain biking website
The Boone Area VB hosted a writer in early October, which resulted in the article "East Bound and Down: Boone, North Carolina" on PinkBike.com, an international mountain biking website. In addition to visiting and dining in the area, the writer enjoyed a ride at Rocky Knob Park, Boone's bike park, and learned interesting aspects of the Boone Area Outdoor Recreation Plan. The article also contained a large number of photos to add to the feature. |
 N.C. Arboretum Winter Lights' trains among 'Holiday model train displays that delight this season'
The model trains at the N.C. Arboretum's Winter Lights in Asheville are among USA Today's "13 holiday model train displays that delight this season." Of the site, the article explained, "The G-scale model trains that run on 200 feet of tracks and depict the arrival of trains to Western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century are dressed in their holiday best during Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. Don't be surprised if you see Thomas the Train leading one of the trains! Winter Lights runs through December 31." |
 Haw River area featured in NATJA magazine
The Burlington/Alamance County CVB hosted a group of writers before the North American Travel Journalists Assn. annual meeting, held last May in Chapel Hill. The trip resulted in " Haw River Infuses History, Renews Souls," an article that appeared in Travel World International Magazine (starting on pg. 30). TravelWorld is NATJA's official publication; it receives nearly 17,500 UMV. |
The triple bottom line
One may have heard of the bottom line, but what about the triple bottom line? In the tourism sector, you've heard about companies that have implemented the triple bottom line (TBL). Simply put, the TBL is great for economic, environmental and social aspects of a business. The TBL method allows assess to profits made through a business's sustainability solutions. Using this method helps the business depart from the traditional bottom line to make decisions that will have a positive impact on it. It consists of three parts: economic sustainability, social sustainability and environmental sustainability. Using the TBL method, one can understand a business' position in the economy and its ability to survive in the future based on its environmental and social impact. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has tools to determine a business' impact on the social sustainability bottom line. The environmental sustainability bottom line measures how a business relates to the environment and the practices that your business uses to protect it. Waste reduction, pollution prevention, water conservation and energy conservation all play a part in developing a well-rounded environmental bottom line. This bottom line can be calculated easily, using quantifiable savings through recycling, water and energy conservation. For more information about the triple bottom line, contact NC GreenTravel Initiative manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140. |
| | For the week of Nov. 30 on North Carolina Weekend, enjoy the variety of displays at the Lake Myra Christmas Light Show in Wendell. Discover long-held art at Silver River Center for Chair Caning in Asheville. Lift a glass at The Players' Retreat in Raleigh. Take in the great outdoors at Little River Regional Park in Rougemont. And walk through the winter wonderful of the NC Arboretum Winter Lights in Asheville. (Please note: listings 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. | More than 92 percent of overnight visitors to North Carolina in 2016 were either very or extremely satisfied with their visit to the state. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit Visitor Profile Studies or contact Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
Dec. 11-13 - Carolinas Recreation & Parks Assn. Conference, Greensboro Dec. 12 - NC Sports Assn. Quarterly Meeting, Greensboro Jan 10-11 - BRPA Winter Regional Membership Meeting, Hendersonville Jan. 18-19 - MPI-CC Meeting, Charlotte Jan. 18-28 - Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah Jan. 26-30 - ABA Annual Meeting & Marketplace, Charlotte Jan. 28-29 - NC Assn. of Festivals & Events ShowFest, Charlotte |
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