Weekly e-newsletter for Visit NC Partners - September 12, 2024
IN THIS ISSUE: * Visit NC launching 'First in Fright' to share North Carolina's paranormal places
* Visit NC webinar this morning features ‘Mindfulness and Meditation’
* Visit NC PR team NY media mission, successes
Visit NC launching 'First in Fright' to share North Carolina's paranormal places
Tomorrow, Friday the 13th, Visit NC will officially launch First in Fright, a new initiative that celebrates the many ghost stories, folklore tales and things that go bump in the North Carolina night. This integrated, evergreen campaign aims to establish North Carolina as the destination for spooky travel – a trend that has been growing in popularity and that other destinations have seen great success in marketing to this travel segment.
The collection centers on a new 8-part podcast featuring real stories of hauntings, unexplained phenomena, cryptid encounters and generational lore. There’s also the new North Carolina Haunted Trail, which includes visitable places across the state with known paranormal stories. Additional content ranges from haunted hotels to horror movie filming locations in NC and unique Halloween experiences.
See it all at NCFirstinFright.com. How you can get involved - Listen, like, review and share the podcast once it's launched. The first four episodes are available on all major platforms tomorrow (Friday the 13th).
- Share spooky stories of your destination using the hashtag #NCFirstinFright.
- Submit Fall-/Halloween-related events to our website through your county's tourism database contact. These can include haunted houses, ghost tours, hayrides, etc. When submitting, please follow the Guidelines for Inclusion (found
here
) and include a strong description, image and detailed information.
For questions or more information, contact Visit NC's Katie Bailey.
Visit NC’s September webinar this morning features ‘Mindfulness and Meditation’
For its September webinar this morning, Visit NC will be hosting a special session on mindfulness and meditation to help partners learn ways to better focus on the present moment, to fully experience thoughts and emotions without judgment. Led by a trained instructor from WakeMed's Corporate Wellness Program, the tips and techniques discussed in this session will be helpful for reducing stress and enhancing participants’ overall sense of well-being. Participants will also be led through a deep breathing exercise. (Note: This webinar will be held within WakeMed's WebEx platform, as opposed to Visit NC's Zoom platform.) The webinar will be at 10 a.m. today; click here to register.
Visit NC PR team, partners pitch at Visit NC’s NYC media mission
Eight destination partners traveled to New York with Visit NC's Veda Gilbert earlier this week for the NYC mini-media mission. Returning to the original format of one big event, nearly 40 writers and editors heard pitches from Explore Asheville, Explore Brevard, Explore Cabarrus, Discover Durham, Visit Greenville, Visit Ocracoke, Outer Banks VB, and Visit Winston-Salem. Attending media included Afar, Condé Nast Traveler, Forbes, HuffPost, Thrillist, and Travel + Leisure. The evening event, held at Gallow Green, featured Eastern-style NC barbecue cooked and chopped by Sam Jones and Michael Letchworth from Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh and Winterville; with spirit samples from Jason Queen of Cook's Mill Bourbon Whiskey in Raleigh. Partners and the Visit NC PR team (including reps from DCI) will follow up with journalists to maximize connections from the event.
Visit NC PR team pitches lead to coverage for mountain resorts
Snowbird Mountain Lodge in Robbinsville was featured in the syndicated roundup “Enjoy All-Inclusives for What You'd Spend at Home
,” thanks to the Visit NC PR team’s response to a media inquiry. The article highlighted canoeing and kayaking on Santeelah Lake, fly-fishing, hiking and mountain-biking as covered experiences in a stay at the all-inclusive resort. “Themed weekends are devoted to wellness and the cultures and culinary treasures of regions of the United States and other countries,” the article explained. The article was published at Creators.com with additional pickup at theepochtimes.com and arcamax.com
for a combined reach of 7,743,159 unique monthly visitors.
Lake Lure’s Rumbling Bald Resort was highlighted in Garden & Gun’s “Seven Southern Fall Golf Getaways Worth the Drive,” the result of a recommendation from Visit NC’s PR team. “There is nothing like playing golf on fairways draped in vibrantly colored trees reflected in lakes and ponds with barely a building in sight,” the post sid in introducing the resort’s two courses and their distinct challenges in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Gardenandgun.com has a reach 438,106 unique monthly visitors.
Greater Raleigh CVB has moved offices
The Greater Raleigh CVB has a new address with its business offices now located at 434 Fayetteville Street, Suite 2600 in Raleigh (27601). Phone numbers and emails remain the same.
High Point CVB visitors center, offices get new location
High Point CVB/Visit High Point has moved its visitor center and offices to a new location at 515 West English Road, Suite 101-A in High Point (27262). Phone numbers and emails remain the same.
Brunswick County TDA seeking new executive director The Brunswick County TDA/NC Brunswick Islands is seeking a new executive director, as Mitzi York is retiring in March 2025. View the job posting here. The position is open until filled.
Best New Chef Silver Iocovozzi’s restaurant in the spotlight with ‘This Joyful Filipino Restaurant Is the South’s Best-Kept Secret’
In its “This Joyful Filipino Restaurant Is the South’s Best-Kept Secret
,” Food & Wine noted, “2024 F&W Best New Chef Silver Iocovozzi’s exuberant, high-touch, queercore dining marries Filipino and Southern foodways in vivid, gutsy, full-flavored cooking at Neng Jr.’s in Asheville, North Carolina.” Of the restaurant, the article said in part, “With a riotous, freewheeling menu effortlessly veering between Filipino and Southern food – sometimes lumpia and kinilaw grace the menu, and other times a slow-cooked Brunswick stew – there’s nothing else quite like it in the world.”
NC towns, sites among ’10 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in North Carolina’
In its "10 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in North Carolina
," Travel + Leisure observed “New England may have a reputation for incredible fall foliage, but the South isn’t far behind. North Carolina, in particular, becomes awash with a dynamic color palette of reds, yellows, and oranges every year.” Suggested places included were Blue Ridge Parkway, Biltmore Estate, Little Switzerland, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Hendersonville, Cabins at Sandy Mush Bald near Hot Springs, Grandfather Mountain, Cataloochee Ranch near Maggie Valley, Boone, and Dupont State Forest in Henderson and Transylvania counties.
National Yoga Month helps put spotlight on The Horse Shoe Farm
In its "Wellness Resorts Celebrate National Yoga Month With Special Activities
," Forbes included The Horse Shoe Farm in Hendersonville. The article explained, “National Yoga Month gives wellness resorts a platform to showcase the various yoga activities available to guests, both novices and experienced yogis.” Of the Hendersonville site, the article noted, in part, “The Horse Shoe Farm is a sanctuary where time seems to slow, inviting guests into a world of serene wellness and time. Here, the earth’s energy is palpable, especially noted by the five vortexes on-site, including one directly beneath The Stable Spa, the property’s renovated equestrian stable-turned-spa.”
Crystal Coast among ‘17 Luxe Travel Destinations Pulled Straight From Your Favorite Books’
The Robb Report included the Crystal Coast among its “17 Luxe Travel Destinations Pulled Straight From Your Favorite Books.” Of the inclusion, the article noted, in part, “The sweeping Lowcountry marshes of North Carolina have long served as the inspiration for authors from Nicolas Sparks’s tear-jerking romance A Walk To Remember to Elin Hilderbrand’s The Island to Delia Owen’s murder-mystery thriller Where The Crawdads Sing. Pay a visit to the nearby Rachel Carson Reserve to see wild horses freely gallop and graze the marsh.”
For the week of Sept. 12, "North Carolina Weekend” offers “The Perfect Beach Trip,” which originally aired June 13. Featured segments include Three10 Restaurant in Wilmington; Carolina Beach Mural Trail; Harkers Island and Cape Lookout; Island Farm in Manteo; and Shepard Barbecue in Emerald Isle. (Check local listings, as segments are subject to change.) "North Carolina Weekend" is underwritten by Visit North Carolina. In addition, PBS North Carolina has recent editions of "North Carolina Weekend" available online.
Visit North Carolina is part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
150 Fayetteville St., Ste 1200, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601, United States
