| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | June 14, 2017 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* UK tour operators explore NC on Visit NC tour
* Visit NC-sponsored writer visit leads to Scotland story placement
* Partners see big success with native content co-op
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 | | | The group in Durham |
UK tour operators explore North Carolina on Visit NC tour
With US Travel Association's IPW tradeshow in Washington, DC earlier this month (and for the first time it was ever held there), Visit North Carolina took the opportunity to bring UK tour operators to explore some of the attractions their clients can enjoy in the Outer Banks, Durham and Raleigh. Three tourism partners - Greater Raleigh CVB, Durham CVB and Outer Banks VB - arranged activities that included a lighthouse visit, kayaking, a Durham Bulls game and both air and walking tours. The experience included overnight stays in the Kees Vacations, Shutters on the Banks and the Durham Hotel. Amtrak also sponsored the rail service, which gave the opportunity for the attendees to see the ease in getting to the state from other parts of the region. In 2015, North Carolina welcomed 95,608 visitors from the UK, who spent $34.8 million. To find out more about Visit NC's international program, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762. |
 Visit NC-sponsored writer visit leads to Scotland story placement
Visit NC, working with its UK representatives, sponsored a writer for a trip this past April. One article resulting from the trip was published in The Scottish Sun, "Time of My Life: Relive the iconic Dirty Dancing scene in North Carolina." The writer visited the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure areas, including film sites from Dirty Dancing, in addition to stops in Asheville. The Scottish Sun has a circulation of 201,245 with 132,210 UMV; interestingly, the print edition included more photography than the online article. |
 Partners see big success with native content co-op
Visit NC recently wrapped a very successful partner co-op with Nativo, a leading native advertising platform that distributes branded content within digital editorial streams for a seamless user experience. As part of the spring co-op, the Visit NC content team worked with Nativo and partners in Leland, the Outer Banks and Bryson City to develop a family-themed article that was distributed across Nativo's network of sites. The article included lodging, dining and attractions in each area, perfect for making a memorable family trip. During the one-month flight, the story received more than 1.7 million impressions and 41,800 clicks, resulting in a 2.40 percent click-through rate - exceeding Nativo's travel category benchmark CTR by an astounding 167 percent. Engaged readers also led to the content surpassing several other Nativo benchmarks, including percentage of page views that resulted in call-to-action clicks - 12.38 percent compared to the 4 percent benchmark - and average time on content - 108-second average compared to the 80-second benchmark. If you are interested in sponsored content co-op opportunities similar to Nativo for 2017-'18, please contact LGA's Michelle Reino at (704) 552-6565 to learn more regarding Visit NC's limited availability with iExplore.com, AtlantaMagazine.com and PhillyVoice.com. |
| | | Attendees during a meeting break |
Eastern NC Events & Festival Planners Consortium learns about Visit NC
Visit NC's Andre Nabors spoke briefly with the Eastern NC Events and Festival Planners Consortium last week in Surf City. Nabors told attendees about Visit NC's TRAC (Tourism Resource Assistance Center) as well as ways to keep Visit NC informed on new and existing events. Attendees also heard from many other facets during the workshop on engaging volunteers, integrating art into events, and grant-writing to potential sponsors. |
 Deep South Classic brings $2.9M to Raleigh area
Final numbers are in for the 2017 Deep South Classic, held in Raleigh this past April, and again reveal the tremendous economic impact of the event on the local community, according to the Greater Raleigh CVB. This year's tournament had 416 teams from across the US and Canada competing. These visiting teams, coaches, family members and friends generated 8,750 total hotel room-nights in more than 65 hotels. More than 13,000 visitors traveled to Raleigh for the tournament, and direct visitor spending totaled $2.9 million. For a recap of the event, including an inside look at how participants enjoyed their time in the Raleigh area, read the Greater Raleigh Sports Spotlight: At Deep South, It's Wall-to-Wall Basketball. |
 Brevard among 'America's 20 best mountain bike towns'
National Geographic included Brevard in its "America's 20 Best Mountain Bike Towns." Of Brevard, the online, photo gallery article explained, "Mountain bikers out West might be surprised to hear the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina are one of the best places in the country to ride a mountain bike. Bike magazine called the trails around the town of Brevard 'America's best kept secret.' The nearby Pisgah National Forest offers a lifetime of mostly technical riding (locals estimate between 200 and 1,000 miles of singletrack) like Pilot Rock and Laurel Mountain Trail, and DuPont State Recreational Forest offers around 100 miles of everything from machine-built flow trails to granite slickrock with sprawling views. At the entrance to Pisgah National Forest, the Bike Farm offers a 440-acre biketopia of glamping, guide and coaching services, a trail network, and a skills park. With a population of around 8,000, Brevard has old-school small-town charm, great barbecue, and bike shops that serve coffee and beer. The area hosts several cycling events, including the famed Pisgah Stage Race, a five-day endurance mountain bike race through the rocky, rooted terrain Pisgah is known for." |
 'In Search of Serenity' finds Art of Living Retreat Center
In its April/May issue, AARP offered "In Search of Serenity," and including the Art of Living Retreat in Boone. Of Art of Living, the photo gallery said, "The powerful presence of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains is keenly felt throughout this 380-acre campus of forest and buildings stretching along a 3,700-foot-high ridge in western North Carolina. A soaring meditation hall - reminiscent of a grand Indian temple - dominates the site, while most of the smaller rooms hosting yoga classes and mind-and-meditation workshops are oriented toward the rising sun. Lodging is a comfy boutique hotel and simple but serene retreat rooms. The dining hall - offering spectacular views of the mountains - features a vegetarian menu that might include greens from the center's own garden or a warm Tuscan bread salad with sun-dried tomato pesto. At the spa, Ayurvedic options range from multiday detox regimes to facials, massages and warm-oil "bliss therapy" treatments." |
Restaurants saving waste disposal costs through recycling
Restaurants in North Carolina and around the country are reducing their reliance on landfills and saving money by recycling their waste commodities. Reducing paper waste can offer business savings, as well as improve sustainability. For many years, restaurants have been recycling old corrugated containers to help cut disposal costs and to keep paper fiber in the marketplace so it can be made into new corrugated containers. Now unlined paper shipping sacks in which food products are delivered to restaurants can be recycled in the same recycling bin along with the corrugated cardboard, according to Food Newsfeed. Of course, it is always wise to contact your recycling hauler to make sure this option is best for your restaurant. Other materials generated by restaurants can and should be recycled as well. The State of North Carolina has banned the landfill disposal of aluminum cans, wooden pallets and plastic bottles. Also, by law, all businesses that sell alcohol beverages for on-premise consumption must recycle containers they generate. Fortunately, the NC Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS) has helped to develop an extensive recycling infrastructure, so recycling is available to businesses throughout the state. DEACS manages an online Recycling Markets Directory so restaurants, hotels, attractions and other businesses can locate recycling companies easily. To get assistance with recycling issues and to learn more about recycling options in the tourism industry, contact NC GreenTravel Manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140. |
| | On North Carolina Weekend for the week of June 15, join in the 80th anniversary celebration of The Lost Colony in Manteo. Get away from it all at the Cashie River Treehouses in Windsor. Step back in time at Liberty Mountain: The Revolutionary Drama in Kings Mountain. Learn more about the Asheville Drum Circle and Percussion Festival in Asheville. And the "House Special" samples the fare at Asheville Drum Circle and Percussion Festival in Mooresville. (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 Weekendavailable online. | Visitors from China, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden and Australia spend more of their total travel budget on retail in general, particularly in radio/TV/stereo stores (China), department stores (China), specialty retail (Venezuela) and discount stores (Mexico and Venezuela). More than half of the Chinese spending in NC is in the retail sector. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit the Visitor Profile Studies or contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
June 15 - NC Coast Host Annual Meeting, Kenansville July 20 - Visit NC's TRAC, Dobson July 23-24 - AENC Annual Meeting, Winston-Salem July 27-28 - MPI-CC Meeting, Winston-Salem Aug. 21-22 - NC Restaurant & Lodging Assn. Expo, Raleigh Aug. 25-29 - Student Youth and Travel Assn. Conference, Albuquerque, NM Aug. 26-29 - US Travel Assn.'s ESTO, Minneapolis, Minn. |
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