Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC partners, January 13, 2021 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* 2021 North Carolina Travel Guide now available * Visit NC PR team hosts virtual media panel on ‘Changemakers’ in N.C. travel * Visit NC webinar next week wraps up efforts for CARES Act funding, Count On Me NC |
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2021 N.C. Travel Guide now available in print, online The Official 2021 North Carolina Travel Guide is now available. Travelers seeking joy in the familiar and delight in discovery can fill their wish lists with the Official 2021 North Carolina Travel Guide, which invites readers to “Get Back to a Better Place” following the disruptions from COVID-19. With stops in all 100 North Carolina counties, the 2021 Travel Guide leads to natural wonders, well-crafted treats, unique lodging and intriguing stories. The guide comes with three different covers highlighting each of North Carolina’s main regions. On the coast, kayakers paddle the cypress-enchanted waters at Merchants Millpond State Park in Gatesville. In the Piedmont, a couple surveys the scenery at Treehouse Vineyards in Monroe. In the mountains, tree-covered peaks frame a field of sunflowers at the Ten Acre Garden in Canton. Text and photos embrace each region across a spectrum of topics from dining and craft beverage to golf, stargazing, adventure, one-of-a-kind lodging and museums with unique collections.
For the currently available 2021 Travel Guide issue, Visit NC added a "safety insert" to inspire visitors to travel responsibly due the pandemic. Count On Me NC and safety steps visitors can take, along with what N.C. businesses are doing to keep their guests safe, are spotlighted. Several destinations and attractions are highlighted in these 12 additional pages. The Travel Guides with the safety insert are available in a limited quantity and will be the first issues distributed. The Official 2021 North Carolina Travel Guide is free. The print edition is available at the state's nine Welcome Centers and can be ordered at VisitNC.com and via (800) VISIT NC (847-4862). Readers can download a digital magazine version via VisitNC.com/travel-guides. Bulk orders of the Travel Guide are available with the guides coming 50/box. Email requests with name, phone number and physical delivery information to Teresa Smith at the Call Center. The Travel Guide is available at no cost for distribution by visitor centers, attractions, accommodations and other tourism-related businesses. For those interested in receiving the Travel Guide with the additional safety pages, please also specify this in your email request. “Even as North Carolina’s current mask mandate and other statewide restrictions remind us of the need to be mindful wherever we go, the 2021 Travel Guide opens our minds to the unlimited possibilities for transcending the ordinary,” said Visit NC’s Wit Tuttell. “As we envision our better selves in the best of places, we can reconnect with favorite comfort zones and expand our horizons to embrace more experiences that will be right for 2021.” The 2021 Travel Guide, the official guide for North Carolina’s state tourism office, was produced by Meredith Travel Marketing. It was financed by private industry support from advertisers across the state. The self-mailer format for the printed copies reinforces Visit NC’s green initiatives. |
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Visit NC PR team hosts virtual media panel on ‘Changemakers’ in N.C. travel Today (Wednesday), the PR team hosted a virtual media panel celebrating five changemakers doing incredible work related to travel in North Carolina. The event, moderated by special guest Deborah Holt Noel of PBS North Carolina (formerly UNC-TV), shined a light on five people who are contributing to the betterment of North Carolina and beyond – those who draw on the state’s history and heritage in their contributions to today’s vital travel experience. An oyster farmer, a musician, a muralist, a historic preservationist and a veteran brewer, these are people whose insight into the past is matched by their vision for the future. Media guests at the event included staffers and freelancers representing outlets like Essence, Veranda, Wallpaper*, Coastal Living, The Globe and Mail, National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Forbes, USA Today, The New York Times, VICE, and more. A recording of the event is available here. |
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Visit NC webinar next week wraps up efforts for CARES Act funding, Count On Me NC
For next week's webinar, "Visit NC Marketing Credits and Count On Me NC Wrap-up," Visit NC will share a wrap-up on efforts related to CARES Act funding that helped support the organization’s Count On Me NC and Partner Marketing Credit programs. The webinar next Wednesday will be at 10 a.m.; click here to register.
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Visit NC PR efforts lead to Heights House Hotel among '15 New Hotels We Can’t Wait To Visit in 2021'
Due to the efforts of Visit NC’s PR team, Raleigh’s Heights House Hotel is included in Fodor Travel’s “15 New Hotels We Can’t Wait To Visit in 2021.” The PR team pitched the soon-to-open hotel to the writer and followed up on her request for photos, which the hotel provided. The article noted, "The current owners of this 1860s Italianate-style mansion had walked by the property for years in their Boylan Heights neighborhood, imagining what the place could become one day. They purchased the property in 2018 and transformed it into a nine-suite boutique hotel and exclusive event space. The grand common spaces with 15-foot ceilings and the bespoke furnishings give the Heights House Hotel an extravagant, yet approachable, ambiance unlike anything else in the city." Fodors.com has nearly 452,000 unique monthly visitors. |
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Research shows improvement in traveler sentiment, while concerns about pandemic’s impact worsen This week revealed improvements in sentiment towards travel says Destination Analysts, even while concerns about the impact of the pandemic on personal health, health of friends and family and the national economy worsened somewhat from last week. Americans’ openness to travel inspiration hit a pandemic record high this week measuring 6.0 on a scale of 0-10 and excitement levels for travel in 2021 reached 6.1 on a scale of 0-10. |
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The proportion of American travelers who are more optimistic about being able to safely travel in the next six months due to vaccine availability hit a peak this week as well, reaching more than 56 percent and the percent of American travelers who say they have begun planning and booking trips specifically in anticipation of vaccines being available peaked at nearly 34 percent (up from 27 percent last week). In the past week, nearly a quarter of Americans have researched travel online and nearly 16 percent have made some type of travel reservation (as compared to 8 percent last week). |
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Visit NC will be providing frequent research updates through Newslink with links to available studies. |
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National Plan for Vacation Day Jan. 26
U.S. Travel Association reminds it’s time to start planning: National Plan for Vacation Day is coming up on Jan. 26. The occasion means to encourage Americans to declare their vacation days for the rest of the year, at the start of the year. New for 2021: National Plan for Vacation Day will kick off Phase 3 of U.S. Travel’s Let's Go There campaign, inspiring Americans to say “Let’s Go There” and start dreaming of future trips in the year ahead. There's a toolkit available which includes press release and social media templates, talking points and other useful data. |
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Free webinar: ‘How to be a Better Grant Writer’
Leverage NC is hosting its next educational offering on "How to be a Better Grant Writer" on Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. Grant funding can advance institutions, evolve towns, and make lasting changes to an organization. By learning from those with decades of combined experience, the free webinar will feature seasoned panelists from across the professional spectrum, who have prepared, reviewed, written and awarded grants on the local, state, federal and foundation levels. These experts will share best practices for every step of the process. Click here to register; space is limited to the first 1,000 registrants. Through a carefully curated catalog of educational offerings and expert resources,Leverage NC provides cities and towns statewide the tools needed to strengthen local economies and support enhanced business opportunity back at home. Leverage NC is a partnership with the N.C. League of Municipalities, N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Downtown Development Association, and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. |
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‘American Pickers’ seeking large, private antique collections The team from History Channel’s “American Pickers” is coming to North Carolina in March, seeking large, private antique collections. "American Pickers" follows Mike and Frank as they hunt for America's most valuable antiques. They are looking for leads and hope to explore a large, private accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through. Send any leads, along with your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos via email, leave a voice mail at (855) OLD RUST or via Facebook. |
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Swansboro among '25 coolest towns in America to visit in 2021'
Matador Network named Swansboro among its “25 coolest towns in America to visit in 2021.” The article explained, in part, "Hammocks Beach is the crown jewel of Swansboro, a one-time shipbuilding hub that’s comfortably transitioned into a historic destination with North Carolina’s most under-appreciated beaches.... But the beach isn’t the only thing that makes Swansboro so cool. The meticulously preserved downtown has buildings that date back over 100 years. Your first stop should be Bake Bottle and Brew, where you can try beers from all over the state, then counteract the effects with local coffee. It’s also one of those snarky souvenir stores where you’ll find yourself inexplicably buying mermaid potholders you never knew you needed. Swansboro’s historic downtown has no shortage of places to get a meal on the water, either.” |
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Grove Park Inn among ‘9 Amazing Hotels Where Presidents Have Slept’ The Omni Grove Park Inn is included in SmarterTravel.com’s “9 Amazing Hotels Where Presidents Have Slept.” Of the Omni Grove Park Inn’s inclusion, the article noted, “Ten U.S. presidents have stayed at this majestic Southern resort, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The grand property overlooks Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers on-site activities galore, from a highly rated golf course to a full-service spa. Spend a night in the posh Presidential Suite and you’ll literally be staying in the exact same room where heads of state once slept.” |
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‘North Carolina Weekend’
For the week of Jan. 14, "North Carolina Weekend" spotlights “Sweet Temptations” across the state. Featured segments include The Candy Factory in Lexington; La Guinguette in Black Mountain; Uncle Cheesecake in High Point, Miss Angels Heavenly Pies in Mount Airy; and Imladris Farm’s "Jam Man" in Asheville. (Check local listings for schedule; segments are subject to change.) "North Carolina Weekend" is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, PBS North Carolina (formerly 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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