Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners
May 23, 2018
IN THIS ISSUE:
*  N.C. travel promoted to 
international market at IPW
*  U.K. article touts 'Why North Carolina 
should be your next American adventure'
*  TRAC coming to Tarboro/Edgecombe County 
region June 14
N.C. travel promoted to international market at IPW
 
A strong delegation from North Carolina had successful meetings during the U.S. Travel Association's IPW this week in Denver, Colo. Visit NC's Wit Tuttell, Heidi Walters and Eleanor Talley - along with representatives from three of Visit NC's international offices, the U.K.'s Duncan McCubbin, Germany's Nadine Skopp and Canada's Charmaine Singh -  and Visit Raleigh's Scott Peacock and Outer Banks VB's Lorrie Love, conducted an extensive schedule of meetings with tour operators to promote travel to North Carolina. The group had 73 one-on-one appointments with a variety of buyers, all designed to encourage international travel to North Carolina. In addition, Talley and Peacock participated in the IPW Media Marketplace and met with more than 40 domestic and international journalists interested in writing about North Carolina for various consumer outlets.
 
IPW is the travel industry's premier international marketplace and much more than a typical trade show. More than 6,000 attendees from 73 countries, including more than 1,300 international and domestic travel buyers and nearly 500 media from the U.S. and abroad, attended the event, which is the largest single generator of travel to the U.S. At IPW, buyers and sellers are able to conduct business that would otherwise be generated only through an exhaustive number of around-the-world trips. According to independent research firm Rockport Analytics, travel initiated by IPW is projected to bring $4.7 billion in direct bookings to U.S. destinations during the next three years.
 
To find out more about Visit North Carolina's international marketing programs, contact Heidi Walters at (919) 447-7762.
U.K. article touts 'Why North Carolina should be your next American adventure'
 
Visit NC hosted a UK.-based writer with the Metro newspaper on a visit in April during Visit NC's Blackbeard familiarization trip. "Why North Carolina should be your next American adventure" is a result of his trip. The article notes, "Quintessentially southern, North Carolina is rich in history and steeped in tradition... North Carolina's on the rise and offers a true taste of the real America. From the majesty of the Blue Ridge mountains to the 300-mile long coastline, there's something for everyone in this easy-going, food-loving state." Collaborating on the writer's trip were Greater Raleigh CVB, Crystal Coast TDA, Ocracoke Civic & Business Assn., Washington TDA and Greenville-Pitt County CVB. The Metro receives more than about 50 million unique views per month.
A previous TRAC in Marion
TRAC coming to Tarboro/Edgecombe County region June 14
 
On June 14, tourism-related businesses in Tarboro and Edgecombe County - plus 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) is a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses. TRAC will be held 10 am - 2 pm at the Tarboro Coffee House, 439 Main St. in Tarboro.
 
There is no charge to attend, no reservation is required, and there are no PowerPoint presentation. 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. Welcome Centers/Visitor Services, N.C. State Parks, Agritourism, and NC GreenTravel are often 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 AndrĂ© Nabors  at (919) 447-7771.
N.C. Coast Host learns more about Visit NC, new marketing campaign
 
Visit NC's Andre Nabors addressed N.C. Coast Host's meeting in Emerald Isle last week. He gave a tourism update and presented Visit NC's new marketing campaign, "Firsts That Last," to the group.
Our Wild Life premieres on TLC
 
TLC's new show Our Wild Life premiered last night (Tuesday). The series centers around the Abrams family and their animal menagerie at It's a Zoo Life, a small, exotic petting zoo in Pinetops, near Macclesfield in Edgecombe County. The six-episode series is slated to air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
Frontier adds new route from San Antonio to CLT
 
Frontier Airlines announced last week that it's adding a new route from San Antonio, Texas, to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The seasonal route is slated to start Aug. 12; the non-stop flight will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
'Pet-Friendly Memorial Day Travel' includes Asheville's Aloft
 
NBC News is running the national story "Pet-Friendly Memorial Day Travel," that's also airing on local, affiliate stations; the story includes a mention of Aloft in Asheville. The story reports, "Pet owners are part of a growing customer base for hotels according to David McCartney of Aloft [in Asheville], 'Over the five years it seems like we've gotten more and more.'.. Pets get a warm welcome at the Aloft hotel in Asheville, North Carolina, with a treat bag, bowls and a pet bed provided in the room free of charge... A Trip-Advisor survey found more than 50 percent of respondents say they travel with their pets and will only stay at pet-friendly properties. More people are treating their pets like children, and that means taking their pets with them where ever they go. Businesses are accommodating and making it easier to travel and spoil their little fur babies along the way. More hotel chains are going pet friendly, now, with more than 3000 locations nationwide, and demand continues to grow."
Clay County Chamber has new offices
 
The Clay County Chamber of Commerce has new offices. Its new location is 96 Sanderson Street, Hayesville, N.C. 28904. Phone numbers and emails remain the same.
Surveys, Industry, Marketing & Travel Trends

How technology is bringing hotel lobbies outdoors - Hotels are blurring the line between indoor and outdoor spaces, encouraging guests to stay outside - and order more food and drinks from the al fresco social spots, reports HotelManagement.net. This means that designers and suppliers are finding new ways to cater to new demands in the outdoors, adding the amenities guests expect in the lobby to the exterior spaces. While USB ports are ubiquitous in lobbies, some suppliers now offer devices that let guests charge their phones in outdoor spaces as well, such as umbrellas with solar panels on top and USB ports at the base. One furniture design company has cabanas and pavilions that provide charging capability with both traditional outlets and USB ports, as well as lighting and weather sensors that can open or close electronic roofs as needed. Another way to keep guests outside is to make it easier to control the overall climate. Outdoor ceiling fans extend the usage of outdoor spaces during the summer in the same way that space heaters do in the winter.
 
Hotels finding ways to influence, share guests' photos - Sometimes the best way to show off what a hotel has to offer is by using photos taken by actual guests, according to HotelNewsNow.com. That's why social media experts at hotel companies are finding ways to influence what guests post on social platforms on-property, and are asking for permission to utilize user-generated content on hotel websites. One marketing strategist with a hospitality management company said his team attempts to influence Instagram moments through interesting design elements. This includes creating areas at the company's hotels "where guests can interact with those pieces on their own and then hopefully put it on Instagram and tag us," he said. Some hotels are looking to add user-generated content to their websites, which requires permission from the guest, sources said.
 
Hoteliers: Training crucial to success of renovations - At hotels undergoing upgrades or that have recently been repositioned, reports HotelNewsNow.com, hotel owners and managers are working diligently to ensure that service levels match the newly refurbished product. These "service renovations" generally are structured on a case-by-case basis depending on a host of property-specific factors, but the overarching goal is always driven by the same ethos: It's also the hotel's staff - not just the furnishings and amenities - that drive the guest experience. While periodic capital upgrades are essential for hotels seeking to remain competitive, a sure way to waste those renovation dollars is to overlook related staff training that should be held in tandem with the relaunch. Generally speaking, cultural and service retraining occurs periodically throughout the renovation and then intensifies two or three weeks prior to reopening. Management needs to work with staff, not against them, and renovations should also include employee areas, like cafeterias, locker rooms and the back of the house, sources said. That way, staffers can enjoy an upgraded working environment that matches the guest-facing portions of the property.
No-idling zones at hotels, restaurants and attractions
 
Some drivers still believe there are advantages to idling their vehicles while parked, but the opposite is true. Of course, when traffic is backed up, drivers are forced to idle their vehicles, but what about when a delivery truck is delivering goods to a restaurant or a tour bus is parked, waiting to pick up guests at a hotel? First, let's look at the health aspects of idling. It needlessly increases the amount of pollutants in the air and creates problems for people with allergies, heart disease, lung disease and a variety of health problems. In respect to the environmental impact, tailpipe emissions contain carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Economically, idling wastes fuel and money. An idling car can use as much as 7/10of a gallon of fuel an hour and an idling diesel truck can burn about a gallon of fuel an hour. Contrary to popular belief, restarting a vehicle does not burn more fuel than idling. Ten seconds of idling wastes more fuel than starting the engine. Idling for just two minutes uses about the same amount of fuel as driving a mile. Idling is harder on engines than restarting because idling leaves fuel residues that can damage engine components and increase maintenance costs in the long run. Drivers can reduce their idling impact by warming up their engine while driving, because engines warm twice as quickly while being driven. In the long run, engine life can be extended by not idling. Tourism-oriented businesses can help protect the environment by posting "No Idling" signs at their delivery and drop-off areas. It just makes good sense. For more information about no-idling policies, download "Idling Gets You Nowhere," or contact NC GreenTravel manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140.
For the week of May 24 on  North Carolina Weekend, talk to the animals at the Conservators Center near Burlington. Experience the art at N.C. Open Plein Air in Mooresville. Learn about the black bear during the N.C. Black Bear Festival in Plymouth. Lift a glass at Walton's Distillery in Jacksonville. And stop by Richard's Coffee Shop in Mooresville for the veterans and fellowship. (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
The top states of origin of overnight visitors to North Carolina were in-state residents (38.9 percent), Virginia (8.4 percent), South Carolina (7.2 percent), Georgia (6.3 percent), Florida (5.3 percent), New York (3.9 percent), Tennessee (3.3 percent), Ohio (2.9 percent), Maryland (2.7 percent) and Pennsylvania (2.6 percent). For more information, visit Fast Facts, or contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.
Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events

June 8 - NC Sports Association Quarterly Meeting, TBD
June 13 - BRNHA Spring Meeting, Asheville
June 14 - Visit NC's TRAC, Tarboro
June 24-29 - STS Marketing College, Dahlonega, Ga.
June 26-28 - TTRA International Conference, Coral Gables, Fla.
July 19-20 - MPI-CC Meeting, Winston-Salem
July 21-23 - AENC Annual Meeting, Greenville
July 27 - Piedmont Triad DMO, High Point
NewsLink is a publication of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
15000 Weston Parkway | Cary, NC 27513