| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | June 1, 2016 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* French journalists explore North Carolina * Ireland tour operators experience N.C.
* TRAC in Vance County region next week
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 | | | Visit NC agency rep Marina Dupuy-Wedd (lf) and journalist Catherine Marchi with Art-O-Mat treasures at Mary's Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem |
French journalists explore North Carolina on Visit NC tour
With Delta's new daily flight from Paris to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Visit North Carolina's public relations team led a media tour with four French journalists and an agency representative, who explored art, nature and culinary appeal in Piedmont and mountain destinations. Four CVBs - Greater Raleigh, Pittsboro-Siler City, Asheville and Winston-Salem - arranged visits to the N.C. Museum of History, N.C. Museum of Art and its art park, Cooper Mays Pottery, Biltmore, Old Salem and Reynolda House plus excursions with Blue Ridge Hiking Co. and Art Connections. The experience included luxury overnight stays and wine dinners at The Umstead Hotel and Spa and Fearrington Village, innovative and traditional Southern specialties, and local beer and music. The RDU flight, which began May 12, is the only year-round, daily, non-stop into North Carolina; American Airlines offers a seasonal flight from Paris to Charlotte. In 2014, North Carolina welcomed 30,090 visitors from France (up 14 percent compared to 2013), who spent $9.6 million. To find out more about Visit NC's public relations program, contact Scott Peacock at (919) 447-7783. |
| | | Tom Britton, a pilot himself, at the Wright Brothers National Memorial |
Ireland tour operators experience N.C. via fam
Director of Partner & Industry Relations Heidi Walters escorted a fam trip from Ireland, which was being used to showcase North Caroilna to the Irish trade along with the direct flight on American Airlines (who sponsored the flight). The group spent time in the Outer Banks, Durham and Charlotte; participants included Marble City Travel, Platinum Travel, American Holidays, Carrier Holidays and Travelbiz.ie (UK trade publication). Images have already been spread across the Travelbiz website and various social media channels. An additional highlight was Marble City Travel's Tom participated in a live broadcast about North Carolina on a peak morning radio show. The radio show has an audience of more than 250,000; the value of the piece, which lasted 14 minutes, was worth an estimated value of $42,140. International visitors on average stay longer and spend more on their trips - providing new tax dollars to every community they visit. In 2014, visitors from the U.K. totaled nearly 100,000, up 15.2 percent from 2013; U.K. visitors spent more than $33.3 million with the average visitor spending $334. In 2014, visitors from Ireland totaled more than 14,000, up 22.3 percent; Irish visitors spent nearly $5.5 million with the average visitor spending $385. To find out more about 2014 International Visitation to North Carolina, click here. To learn more about Visit NC's international marketing program, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762. |
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 Fayetteville shines in Social Media Spotlight
Visit North Carolina's social media team conducted a Social Media Spotlight last week on behalf of the Fayetteville Area CVB. LGA's Social Media Manager Kristen Bilger was joined by Visit NC's Social Media Specialist Nick Parker to visit several Fayetteville landmarks. Pictures and videos from the various attractions were featured in social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest during Memorial Day weekend. The posts saw extremely high levels of impressions and engagement, beyond what the VisitNC accounts normally see, even for a popular travel holiday. The Social Media Spotlight is one of the newest offerings in Partner Opportunities available from Visit NC. Partners are able to use the large and highly engaged followings on the Visit NC accounts to amplify their own brand message and reach new, larger audience segments. For more information on the Spotlight or other Partner Opportunities, contact LGA's Michelle Reino or Brooks Luquire at (704) 552-6565. For general questions on this offering or any of Visit NC's social media activities, contact Nick Parker at (919) 447-7787. |
| | | TRAC in Greenville in February (photo courtesy WNCT) |
TRAC in Vance County region next week
Next week, on Thursday, June 9, tourism-related businesses in the Henderson/Vance County area - including the surrounding counties - will have an opportunity to work with Visit North Carolina staff to learn about its research, development and marketing services, and discuss best practices in reaching travelers, the media and increasing tourism visitation and spending. Visit North Carolina's Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC), a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses, will be held 10 am - 2 pm atThe Perry Library/McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center, 201 Breckenridge St., in Henderson.
There is no charge to attend, no reservation is required, and there are no PowerPoint presentations. This is a come-when-you-can/stay-as-long-as-you'd-like event opportunity for all tourism-related businesses to meet one-on-one with program managers to discuss better ways to promote their property or event. TRAC brings Visit North Carolina's program managers to local communities to discuss the nuts and bolts of working with the organization. This invaluable program is designed to help tourism-related businesses engage more fully with programs offered by Visit North Carolina and its partners.
Representatives from the EDPNC's BLNC, N.C. Dept. of Commerce, N.C. Dept. of Natural & Cultural Resources and NC GreenTravel will also be on hand to discuss services they can provide businesses, including strategic planning, assisting with identifying funding sources and serving as liaisons with other local, state and federal agencies. For additional information on this session or to learn more about scheduling a TRAC visit to your community, contact André Nabors at (919) 447-7771. |
 First trailer for Six released
The History Channel has released the first look at Six, currently filming in N.C. The new television series, set to premiere July 18 and produced in conjunction with The Weinstein Company, is an 8-episode contemporary military drama that follows members of an exceptional U.S. Navy combat SEAL team as they operate daring missions in global hotspots while trying to maintain their own fragile personal lives. The production is based out of Wilmington. Six is expected to have a direct in-state spend in excess of $28 million and to offer more than 1,600 job opportunities. Principal photography on the series, which began in March, is expected to continue until mid-July. |
 Atlantic hurricane season will be near normal; 10 - 16 named storms forecast
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season will be near normal. Forecasters last Friday said they expect 10 to 16 named storms, including four to eight hurricanes, this season. The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. Last Friday's seasonal forecast from NOAA comes on the heels of an above average forecast from researchers at N.C. State University, who predict the season could generate 15 to 18 tropical storms and hurricanes and three to five could become major hurricanes. The 2016 season will be the first in which the National Hurricane Center uses storm surge to gauge the strength of a storm. |
 Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach among 'Top 10 Beaches'
Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach ranked fourth among the 2016 Top 10 Beaches, according to Stephen Letterman, also known as "Dr. Beach." Of Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Dr. Beach noted, "Ocracoke, once the home of Blackbeard the pirate, is still a special place - it is my favorite getaway beach. Here you will find some of the wildest beaches in the country. Big surf dominates in late summer so families with children may want to come earlier in the year. Don't come here expecting to play golf or stay at the Ritz; the main pursuits are swimming, shelling and enjoying a walk through the old cemetery on a foggy night. This island can still be reached by a free state ferry." Dr. Beach named Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach the #1 Top 10 Beach in 2007. At the time, top-ranked beaches were retired from future consideration. This year, Dr. Beach decided to allow previous winners to be considered. As "Dr. Beach," Leatherman has selected the annual Top 10 Beaches since 1991. Fifty criteria are used to evaluate beaches, including water and sand quality as well as facilities and management. |
 Pender County hosts inaugural Historic Hidden Treasures motorcoach tour
Early last month, about 15 folks, mostly Wilmingtonians and many with a distant Pender County connection, gathered for the inaugural Historic Hidden Treasures of Pender County tour. The tour is the latest effort by Pender County Tourism to promote the county's many attractions, in this instance partnering with Frances Parnell Travel Adventures of Wilmington. The tour included stops at several historic churches, Penderlea Homestead Museum and the Canetuck Community Center, a former Rosenwald School, an also included lunch. "We are really trying to increase our motorcoach visits," she added. "Day trips are very important. A lot of people on motorcoach tours don't want to do the 'Myrtle Beach and a show' anymore; they have done that. Now they are looking for things that are personal and historic and different ... off the beaten path." |
 Thomasville TC seeking director
The Thomasville Tourism Commission is seeking a tourism director. The position information can be found at NCWorks by searching Keyword tourism and City as Thomasville. The application deadline is June 15. The previous director, Mark Scott, left for another position. |
 June issue highlights 'Southern sips'
For its June issue, Our State magazine highlights "Southern sips," with stories on Pepsi, lemonade, root beer and some lunch counters' drink specialties. "City Portrait" visits Hickory and "Native" looks at mountain laurel. The June issue is on sale now. |
Surveys, Industry, Marketing & Travel Trends
How marketers are using video to influence travel decisions - Video can bring to life the unique features of an experience or destination like few other mediums. Through the effective use of video content, brands can reach, engage with, and captivate travel audiences. Well-made and -placed videos can influence the destination and activities a traveler ultimately pursues. This plays a valuable role in guiding the consumer through the entire journey - from destination consideration, research and selection, to booking. To create an effective video as part of a travel marketing strategy, suggestions include cutting through the clutter, take a first-person approach and drive results through integration. Independents get creative to attract corporate guests - Although independent hotels have cultivated an image of boutique properties that attract leisure travelers looking for unique experiences, many also are trying to capture their own piece of corporate travel and group business. However, the lack of a major chain behind them to add name recognition, a large marketing budget and other advantages means independent hoteliers need to think outside the box to put themselves in the sights of corporate guests and keep those guests coming back. One Philadelphia independent hotel focuses on customer service to bolster positive feedback on review sites; it consistently ranks at the top on TripAdvisor now. The goal isn't to bring in business for a full city convention, the hotel's GM said, but the hotel can accommodate a group of C-level executives. The property offers them space for meetings and, as a smaller property, privacy. Whether a part of a global chain or independent, when partnering with a corporation for ongoing accommodations, hoteliers need to draft contracts to cement arrangements. The contract might include corporate preferred pricing or access to special inventory. Social media channels increasingly becoming event-centric - Social media and events, at their core, bring people together. When used properly, they should go hand-in-hand. Social media providers have recognized this and are increasingly becoming more event-centric in their product offerings. This article offers a few new ways that this is happening. For example, Facebook, the largest social media channel with 1.67 billion users (1 in 5 on this planet), has long had an Events Page option for their Business Pages. Instagram has become a common component of social walls, event photo booths and selfie mirrors; Instagram uses Twitter hashtags and should be incorporated in all event-related postings. The Snapchat "Story" feature displays content for 24 hours and could be a natural for many events. Twitter, with more than 332 million active users, provided the original social media back channel for events. Making its major debut at the 2007 SXSW conference, the twitter hashtag is now a central social media search phrase at many events, and is used across multiple social channels. U.S. hotel revenue growing, but slowing - U.S. hotel revenue is slowing down, while expenses are on the rise, according to CBRE Hotels America's Research's 2016 edition of Trends in the Hotel Industry, released last week. According to the report, operating performance continued to improve in 2015, but at a much slower pace. "After five years of strong increases in occupancy, average daily rate and profits, U.S. hotels reached the top of the current business cycle in 2015," said the director of CBRE Hotels' Americas Research. "Therefore, it is not a surprise that total operating revenues grew just 5.3 per cent from 2014 to 2015. What stands out as a concern for hotel owners and operators was the 4.7 per cent increase in expenses, especially during a year when inflation was just 0.1 per cent."Trends is the firm's annual survey of operating statements from thousands of hotels across the U.S. |
Air systems and sustainable hotels
Keeping customers cool during the heat of summer is of utmost importance. However, inefficient HVAC systems not only consume large amounts of energy but can leave customers uncomfortable and unsatisfied. If the business has an older HVAC system, it may be best to consider upgrading to a more efficient system. A directory of N.C. renewable energy professionals can be found at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. A number of no-cost and low-cost measures can also help reduce summer utility bills, such as use rooms with the lowest cooling needs first (e.g. north-facing rooms); regularly inspect temperature settings and thermostat calibration; turn on exhaust and hood fans only when needed; and regularly inspect and clean air filters. For more information regarding smart energy use, visit Energy Smart Tips for Hotels, or contact NC GreenTravel Manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140. |
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| | For the week of June 2 on North Carolina Weekend, take in the exhibits at The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts in Highlands. Enjoy a stroll along the Carolina Beach Boardwalk in Carolina Beach. Tempt your taste buds at the Garland Restaurant in Raleigh. Relax at the Inn on Bath Creek in Bath. And check out "Made Especially for You by Willie Kay," an exhibit at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. (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. | Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville is the top advertising market for both the Coastal and Piedmont regions in terms of overnight visitors. Atlanta is the top advertising market for overnight visitors to the Mountain region. For more North Carolina regional visitor profile information, click here, or contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
June 3 - NC Sports Assn. Meeting, Jacksonville June 4-5 - PGA's Produced By Conference, Culver City, Calif. June 9 - Visit NC's TRAC, Henderson June 18-22 - US Travel Assn's IPW, New Orleans, La. July 14-15 - MPI-CC Meeting, Chapel Hill Aug. 8 - BRNHA's Gather 'Round the Blue Ridge Annual Meeting, Asheville Aug. 9 - N.C. Travel & Tourism Board Meeting, TBD Aug. 11 - Visit NC's TRAC, Hertford Aug. 29-30 - NCRLA Expo, Raleigh |
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