| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | September 4, 2019 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit NC efforts for Hurricane Dorian * Dog Travel Agent search gains momentum, garners coverage
* Visit NC's Canadian Media Mission leads to N.C. sites, destinations in the spotlight
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Visit NC efforts for Hurricane Dorian Visit North Carolina is monitoring Hurricane Dorian's potential impact and already seeing heavier traffic at the state's Welcome Centers due to displaced visitors from other states. Visit NC is working with the N.C. Division of Emergency Management regarding the state's response plans for the storm. ReadyNC.org is the state's Emergency Management site and the ReadyNC app gives information on real-time traffic and weather conditions, river levels, evacuations and power outages. If you don't have it already, download the app here. VisitNC.com
For Hurricane Dorian, Visit NC has a special advisory on VisitNC.com with the most current information from several sources throughout the state. The webpage also links to several other sites for storm information. Call Center and Welcome Centers Visit NC is working with the N.C. Call Center and Welcome Centers to assist travelers with relocation throughout the state. In preparation for Hurricane Dorian and the expected increase in calls, the call center began operating a 24-hour schedule today (Wednesday), which will continue until further notice. Evacuees looking for accommodations are being directed to the Expedia North Carolina page. For callers without internet access, operators are referring them to the major chains for accommodations. The Welcome Centers are operating on their regular schedule, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Cancellations and Closings Partners can update Visit NC via VisitNCalert@gmail.com of event cancellations or attraction closings in their area, providing the pertinent information and the ability to verify the cancellation, preferably via the event or attraction's website. Visit NC is maintaining an updated list on the VisitNC.com advisory page. Price Gouging
It is a good time to remind property owners and area businesses of the state's gouging law. Read the specifics here. |
Dog Travel Agent search gains momentum, garners coverage
Visit NC's search for North Carolina's First Dog Travel Agent is well under way, with applications and media coverage rolling in at the halfway point of the recruitment phase - live through Sept. 15. Paid support is going strong as well, with the top performing Facebook post generating more than 1,500 comments and 1,700 shares from dog lovers reached by the campaign. Partners and travelers alike can follow and share applications and engagement using the hashtags #choosemydoggo and #dogsvisitnc. Visit NC is tracking applications through the Sept. 15 deadline, and will announce the selected Dog Travel Agent and launch the full campaign Sept. 30, including trip idea content on DogTravelAgent.com, continuation of the Dogs Visit NC Facebook group, e-blast content, social media posts, paid and earned media, and more |
Visit NC's Canadian Media Mission leads to N.C. sites, destinations in the spotlight
Efforts by Visit NC's PR team have led to article "Mustang GT Road Trip: Burnouts, Bourbon, and BBQ in North Carolina," published by the Canadian AutoTrader.ca. The online article was the result of Visit NC's Canadian Media Mission this past February, which led to the writer, Dustin Wood, being hosted in Brevard, Cabarrus County and Little Switzerland. The writer tested his own Ford Mustang at zMax Dragway and visited the Mustang Owners Museum, both in Concord. In Brevard, he visited several waterfalls and tried fly-fishing. After driving the Tail of the Dragon, the writer went to Little Switzerland for barbecue, and then to Mount Pleasant's Southern Grace Distilleries for moonshine. |
| | | Part of the N.C. delegation |
SportsNC promotes N.C. at Connect Sports Marketplace
The SportsNC team met events rights holders at the annual Connect Sports Marketplace, held in Louisville, Ky., last week. The annual tradeshow brought together rights holders and sports planners from across the U.S. North Carolina's facilities and sports organizations were showcased through prescheduled appointments and networking functions.
Participating SportsNC partners included Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Cabarrus County CVB, Crystal Coast TDA, Durham Sports Commission, Fayetteville Area CVB, Gaston County T&T, Goldsboro Parks & Rec, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, Greensboro Area CVB, Greenville-Pitt Sports Commission, Hickory CVB, Nash County T&T, Outer Banks VB, Raleigh Convention Center, Visit Charlotte, Visit Lake Norman, Visit Winston-Salem, and Wilmington and Beaches CVB.
For more information on SportsNC, contact Amanda Baker at (919) 447-7765. |
Nantahala River reopens for water trips
The Nantahala River is now open to the public for all uses for the first time after landslides on Aug. 24 resulted in the 8-day closure to evaluate safety and accessibility to the river. Yesterday (Tuesday), a technical team assessed the river for potential hazards from the recent landslides and did not find any areas of concern. The landslides occurred following a severe deluge that dropped 3.5 inches of rain on the area. The closing of the Nantahala River to paddling trips happened just before Labor Day Weekend, causing the 14 commercial outfitters who run rafting and kayaking trips down the popular river in Swain County to use other rivers. The Nantahala Outdoor Center was expecting "six figure losses" for the Labor Day weekend, according to the NOC's Jan Wojtasinski, who estimated anywhere from 2,000-3,000 people take trips, just with the NOC, during the normal holiday weekend. |
Several studies have shown that developing a sustainability program can enhance a business' bottom line. One study conducted by Cone Communications revealed how consumers react to positive social and environmental change, and how likely they will purchase your businesses' goods and services when you make those changes. Some of the study's highlights include: 87 percent would buy a product with a social and environmental benefit if given the opportunity; 68 percent of millennials bought a product with a social or environmental benefit in the past 12 months; 87 percent of consumers will have a more positive image of a company that supports social or environmental issues; 88 percent will be more loyal to a company that supports social or environmental issues; and 92 percent will be more likely to trust a company that supports social or environmental issues. In a nutshell, making positive changes, such as, "going green," can be great for business. It can result is consumer loyalty, and very likely, in a more profitable bottom line. Contact NC GreenTravel Initiative manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140 to learn how your tourism-oriented business can become recognized as a sustainable destination at no cost to the business. |
| | Due to special programming resulting in an altered program schedule, "North Carolina Weekend" is repeating the episode that originally aired the week of July 4. Segments include Asheville as the "City of Glass"; Southern Grace Distilleries in Mount Pleasant; and Aurora Fossil Museum in Aurora; plus the "House Special" at Willow's Bistro in Winston-Salem. (Check local listings for program schedule; segments are subject to change.) "North Carolina Weekend" is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, UNC-TV has recent editions of "North Carolina Weekend" available online. | In 2018, the average household trip expenditure in the Coastal Region was $1,073. The average household trip expenditure for overnight visitors to the Coastal Region was $1,240. Daytrip parties to the Coastal Region spent approximately $219 per visit. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit Visitor Profile Studies, or contact Visit NC's Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
Sept. 9-10 - Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. Fall Meeting, Floyd, Va. Sept. 11-12 - NCTIA Tourism Leadership Conference, Concord Sept. 19-22 - NCMA (with VMA-MCASC) Regional Meeting, Winston-Salem Oct. 29-30 - Civil War Trails Meeting, Charleston, W.V. Nov. 6-8 - World Travel Market, London, U.K. Nov. 6-8 -AARC Annual Conference, Chattanooga, Tenn. Nov. 7-8 - AENC Fall Conference, Cary Nov. 19 - Visit NC Travel & Tourism Board Meeting, Cary |
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