| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | March 15, 2017 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit NC 365 starts this Sunday, wear your teams's jersey for the opening reception * French media, tour operators learn more about travel to N.C.
* N.C.-filmed Shots Fired premieres next week
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 | | | Opening reception at the 2014 conference in Charlotte |
Visit NC 365 starts this Sunday, wear your team's jersey for the opening reception
Join colleagues from across the state in Greenville for the Visit NC 365 Conference, starting this Sunday. Visit Greenville is hosting the opening reception, Pigs, Pints and Pirates, on Sunday evening, designed to help everyone reconnect and catch up, while presenting an impressive showcase of Greenville's pit masters, local brewers and school spirit. Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite sports jersey and we'll be watching some of the tournament games on the big screen. Local Greenville breweries include The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Trollingwood Taproom & Brewery, and Uptown Brewing Company. Wine will be served, in tasting glasses, from Seven Pines Vineyard & Winery, along with a special Pirate Punch! Simply Natural Creamery will also be on site with an ice cream bar. Don't forget to grab your pint glass as you enter the event, take a photo with Steve the Pirate and tag #VisitNC365 for all your fans, as we kick-off the conference Greenville-style. If you haven't already registered for North Carolina's annual tourism conference, there's still time to register online. This is Visit NC's only annual meeting of the state's tourism industry so it hopes to see everyone there. Visit North Carolina has assembled a full schedule of powerful keynotes speakers and industry experts, combined with a host of opportunities to network among tourism professionals. Visit the conference website for the official conference program, schedule, floor plan and sponsors. |
| | | Walters (rt) with tour operators |
French media, tour operators learn more about travel to N.C.
Visit NC's Heidi Walters was in Paris recently to continue building interest and tourism product with media and tour operators behind the success of the nearly one-year-old, daily, non-stop Delta flight from Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) in Paris and RDU. This is the second flight from Paris to North Carolina, as American Airlines has a very successful seasonal flight to CLT. Many French tour operators have added new fly/drive suggested itineraries and are seeing increased interested in the state. In 2015, which was prior to the CDG-RDU flight, N.C. saw nearly 25,500 French visitors, who spent more than $9 million. For more info on Visit NC's international marketing programs, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762. |
 Visit NC's PR efforts result in Fickle Creek Farm among '50 farm stay vacation spots for families in each state'
As a result of proactive pitching by Visit NC's PR team, Fickle Creek Farm is among Parents.com's "50 Farm Stay Vacation Spots for Families in Each State." Of Fickle Creek, in Efland, the article noted, "Little ones will be singing E-I-E-I-O as they skip through this 215-acre farm that they'll have all to themselves as the only guests of Fickle Creek, situated not far from Chapel Hill. Home to hens, goats, sheep, ducks, hybrid pigs, and herds of cattle, this is a great place to fully immerse the family in farm life, getting an up-close look at where food comes from alongside farmer Noah." The online article reached an audience of more than 11.9 million. |
 Chatham County residents learn about tourism impact, business climate
Visit NC's Andre Nabors and Business Link North Carolina's Holly Yanker spoke to residents at Carolina Meadows in Chatham County. The duo presented information on the economic impact of tourism and the business climate in the state. The audience consisted primarily of mature and retired professors and business professionals. Nabors discussed North Carolina's tourism impact and how to work with Visit NC, while Yanker addressed the role of BLNC and the EDPNC. |
 N.C.-filmed Shots Fired premieres next week
The N.C.-filmed Shots Fired is set to have its television premiere next Wednesday, March 22. The TV series is set to air on the Fox network at 8 pm (check local listings). Shots Fired was selected to receive a rebate as part of the N.C. Film and Entertainment Grant Fund. According to the N.C. Film Office, the series was expected to have had a direct in-state spend of more than $36 million, and estimated to have provided 5,700 job opportunities, including more than 330 well-paying crew positions for the state's highly skilled film professionals.Shots Fired filmed in the Charlotte Region, including the counties of Mecklenburg, Iredell, Gaston and Rowan, among others. |
 Participate with N.C. Welcome Centers during National Travel & Tourism Week
This year's National Travel & Tourism Week is May 7-13 and this year's theme is "Faces of Travel." Each year, North Carolina's nine Welcome Centers celebrate the occasion by inviting travel partners to help thank visitors for traveling here. Tourism Week provides an excellent opportunity to bring your message directly to visitors in the state seeking travel information. Attractions, accommodations and other tourism-related businesses are invited to contact the individual Welcome Center managers to coordinate participation in Tourism Week; there is no charge to participate, but space is limited and reservations are required. National Travel & Tourism Week activities at the N.C. Welcome Centers will be on May 10 at I-40 West and I-77 North; on May 11 at I-26 East, I-77 South and I-95 North; and May 12 at I-26 West, I-85 North, I-85 South and I-95 South. Each Center's observance will take place 10 am - 2 pm. |
| | | A previous NTTW celebration at the I-40 West NC Welcome Center |
Travel and tourism professionals from across the nation work throughout National Travel & Tourism Week to promote the impactful contributions their travel markets and organizations make to the U.S. economy. The travel community marks the event in a number of creative ways, from staging local rallies and conducting media outreach to securing proclamations and resolutions from local governments. After all, travel is a primary industry in America. In addition to promoting the whole week in regard to the importance of travel, May 9 is Travel Rally Day. U.S. Travel Association offers a toolkit, with resources such as ways to salute travel, talking points, suggestions for a successful Travel Rally Day, and samples for a proclamation, blog post, press release, op-ed, and media advisory. Join the celebration on Twitter (@USTravel), using the hashtag #nttw17. |
| | | A group toured Perry Lowe Orchards in Moravian Falls last October as a side excursion during Cycle NC |
Agritourism seeking farms for group/motorcoach tours
The Agritourism division of the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services is seeking information on farms and/or agriculture-based destinations that are interested in hosting group/motorcoach tours. Such a tour could be a van of 15 - 50 or more guests visiting the farm/destination during a multi-stop agriculture-based itinerary. The goal is to help the site add another revenue stream opportunity by promoting the site's features and benefits to motorcoach tour operators and other tourism decision-makers. Those sites interested should complete a survey that will help best match group tours with the site's offerings. For more information or for any questions, contact Agritourism Marketing Specialist Annie Baggett. |
NC airport & airline news
American Airlines adding flights from ORD to GSO - American Airlines is adding a new non-stop flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro. The three times a day, non-stop ORD-GSO flight\ is scheduled to begin July 5. Virgin America coming to RDU, bringing direct flight to SFO - Virgin America is coming to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). Starting Oct. 19, the airline will offer a "red eye" flight arriving from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This will be RDU's third daily nonstop flight from San Francisco. |
 'World-renowned whirligigs go on display in N.C.'
In its Travel section, USA Today featured the work of Vollis Simpson in its "World-renowned whirligigs go on display in N.C." The article noted, "You really need to be outdoors and looking up to see the art of Vollis Simpson. And it helps if there's a breeze. The late folk artist was known for his "outsider" kinetic pieces called whirligigs - outlandish wind-powered metal contraptions that have been displayed at museums from Singapore to Baltimore to Atlanta, as well as at the residence of the U.S. ambassador in Moscow... [T]his spring, 20 of his multi-ton works - some the size of sports cars and all mounted on steel poles as sturdy as cellphone towers - are spinning in the new Whirligig Park [in Wilson]. That downtown park already looks like a crazy carnival set-up scene from a 1960s hippie comic book. When it officially opens in November, 31 enormous Simpson machines, all restored, will be on display." |
 3 in N.C. among 'South's Best'
Southern Living conducted an online survey to find the best of several categories in the South. For its "South's Best 2017," North Carolina had three of the top winners. Wicked Weed Brewing in Asheville was voted South's Best Brewery. The Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville was voted South's Best Hotel. And the Outer Banks was South's Best Island. The online survey had nearly 22,000 respondents. |
Surveys, Industry, Marketing & Travel Trends
'Measuring the Value of Location Data' features Asheville CVB example - Location marketing has all the makings of an "easy win" for travel marketers, reports Skift. Not only does it let travel brands target consumers based on their current position, it also collects a wealth of data about where visitors eat, shop, and play in a given destination. Yet many travel marketers remain hesitant to experiment with the discipline, citing questions about location marketing's return-on-investment (ROI). But as some case studies have illustrated, location marketing campaigns can be a powerful tool in a brand's arsenal. Marketers just have to know how to use it properly. Recent campaigns, like those from the Asheville CVB, demonstrate the incredible sophistication and business-driving potential of the technology. Personalization: The new holy grail - Discounted rates via direct bookings are nice, but they aren't a very personal approach in an increasingly depersonalized world, nor are they differentiators for hotel companies in their battles to own their customers, reports HotelsMag. What hoteliers are learning to do, not without serious growing pains, is create distinct guest experiences. They are personalizing communication with direct messaging and content on mobile platforms, training for service moments that make or break relationships, creating more sophisticated apps that relieve pain points, and slowly developing systems that better interpret the reams of data often housed in disparate systems. But despite miniscule budgets in comparison to OTAs and other disruptive competitors, hoteliers can say "game on" as they start to employ more data scientists and seize every opportunity to personalize the guest experience, which many consider the new holy grail of loyalty. |
Greening at the destination level
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| | On North Carolina Weekend for the week of March 16, enjoy the Renaissance work at "Glory of Venice," an exhibit at NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. Check out the outdoor activity products at the Get in Gear Fest in Asheville. Scale new heights at Rock Dimensions in Boone. Visit the museum and education center of the Tattoo Archive in Winston-Salem. And lift a glass at Call Family Distillers in Wilkesboro. (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. | More than 53 percent of North Carolina overnight visitors stay in a hotel/motel, while 35 percent stay in a private home. Eight percent use a rental home or condo, while 3 percent choose to stay in a personal second home or condo. Three percent opt for an RV park or campground. For more North Carolina regional visitor profile 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
through March 16 - NC Main Street Conference, Shelby through March 19 - South by Southwest Conference and Festivals, Austin, Texas March 16-17 - MPI-CC Meeting, Myrtle Beach, S.C. March 24-26 - Mountain-to-Sea Trail Annual Meeting, Elkin March 27-30 - NASC Sports Event Symposium, Sacramento, Calif. April 6 - MPI-CC Global Meetings Industry Day, Charlotte, Raleigh & Myrtle Beach April 6 - NC Coast Host Quarterly Meeting, Elizabethtown April 6 - HSMAI-NC Meeting, Raleigh April 27 - Visit NC TRAC, Marion |
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