 In this issue:
• Registration still open for final two Mid-Year Marketing sessions
• N.C. spotlighted among southern states during sales mission
• Surveys, Industry, Marketing & Travel Trends
...and more
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| Registration still open for final two Mid-Year Marketing sessions |  | | MYMU in Wilmington last week |
Registration is still open for the final two Mid-Year Marketing Update regional sessions, the next in Asheville, on Oct. 2, and the last in Winston-Salem, on Oct. 10. Make plans to attend one of these free, interactive sessions. Since historic changes are coming to the N.C. Dept. of Commerce and the Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development, learn how these changes will impact the state's tourism marketing efforts at the Division's annual Mid-Year Marketing Updates. This year's updates will cover:
- Changes to the Dept. of Commerce and the Division
- Information on first year results from the new VisitNC.com
- The target marketing program slated for Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
- A new social media initiative highlighting the 150th observance of the Carolinas Campaign during the Civil War
- The full range of the state's marketing programs and more
- Updates from N.C. Dept. of Cultural Resources and N.C. Dept. of Environment & Natural Resources
Registration is still open for the last two meetings scheduled from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm Oct. 2 at the Doubletree Hotel Biltmore Village in Asheville, and from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm Oct. 10 at the Winston-Salem Marriott (at the conclusion of the N.C. Tourism Leadership Conference). The regional forums will feature Executive Director Wit Tuttell and representatives from the state's agency partners, LGA, DCI and Journal Communications. Similar to last year, the meetings will allow for partner input and discussion. |
| Division’s efforts help N.C. land most Blue Ridge Parkway towns on 10Best list | 
North Carolina had six towns among 10Best’s “Can't-miss Blue Ridge Parkway towns.” The Division collaborated with the writer regarding information for the N.C. towns: Asheville, Blowing Rock, Bryson City, Cherokee, Mount Airy, and Spruce Pine. The article notes, "The thing is, almost no towns are smack-dab on the Parkway. People who have driven typical American scenic byways – the ones that turn into Main Street whenever they bisect a town – might assume, 'Oh, we'll just pull off when something looks interesting.' That doesn't work in this case. You have to exit via a crossover in order to get to the towns and cities, some of which are quite a distance away. It takes commitment. So as you plan your own personal version of this great American drive, check out our top towns worth the side ramble." The article reached nearly 22 million readers and generated $20,264 in media value.
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| N.C. spotlighted among southern states during sales mission |  | Walters (standing, right) tells tour operators
about North Carolina |
Last week, International Marketing Manager Heidi Walters, along with representatives from eight other Southern states, joined Travel South USA on a Receptive Tour Operator Sales Mission. The group presented to more than 50 tour operators that are key to bringing international visitors to North Carolina. In 2013, North Carolina hosted 1.2 international visitors, generating $437 million. International visitors stay longer and spend more than domestic travelers.
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| Paper Towns slated for filming in N.C. due to tax incentives | |
North Carolina will be the site of filming for Paper Towns, according to author John Green. While Green's novel is set primarily in Orlando, Fla., North Carolina's tax incentives for filmmakers make it a more affordable choice, the Indianapolis novelist said. It's a scenario familiar to Hoosier fans of The Fault in Our Stars. Green wrote Fault about two Indianapolis teenagers, but the hit movie was made in Pittsburgh because of Pennsylvania's tax policies. Indiana offers no tax incentives to production crews. The production company responsible for the Paper Towns and Fault adaptations worked in North Carolina this summer when making an upcoming film version of Nicholas Sparks novel The Longest Ride. Shooting for Paper Towns is expected to happen this fall. The movie's release date is June 19 and North Carolina's film incentives expire Dec. 31. |
| Season 2 of Wilmington region-filmed Sleepy Hollow premieres | 
The Headless Horseman rides again, as the sophomore season of the Wilmington region-filmed TV series Sleepy Hollow premiered Monday on Fox. The still-in-production series has been filming in the Wilmington region since May, picking up where it left off last year in what proved to be a successful first-season. News that the show – a modern-day re-telling of the Washington Irving classic “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” – was picked up for a second season broke before filming for its first season wrapped. Anticipation has been high for the show’s second season.
The production was recruited to North Carolina by the N.C. Film Office, who has established a strong working relationship with 20th Century Fox Television. Based in Wilmington, the first season of Sleepy Hollow was expected to result in a direct in-state spend in excess of $25 million while creating close to 5,000 job opportunities. In addition to Wilmington, the show has filmed in Burgaw and other surrounding coastal communities as well as at Tryon Palace and other New Bern-area locations.
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| Charlotte now has soccer Independence | | Charlotte’s new United Soccer Leagues Pro franchise – the Independence – was officially introduced last week in uptown Charlotte. In front of a crowd of about 250 supporters, many of whom wore black and white Independence scarves, team president Jim McPhilliamy made it official that the team would begin play in 2015 in Memorial Stadium. According to McPhilliamy, the Independence will be a type of farm team for Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids. |
| Lion clubs now on exhibit at N.C. Zoo |  | Mom Mekita with her lion cubs
(photo courtesy N.C. Zoo) |
For the first time in eight years, visitors will have the opportunity to see lion cubs at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. Female lion Mekita and male lion Reilly welcomed the cubs on July 30. The Zoo is holding a naming contest for the cubs, two females and two males. |
| ‘Butterfly gardens are all aflutter year-round,’ including Magic Butterfly House |  USA Weekend this week notes “Butterfly gardens are all aflutter year-round,” and includes the Magic Butterfly House at the Museum of Life + Science in Durham. Of the Magic Butterfly House, the article reports, “Visitors are invited to meet the conservatory team to learn about the more than 100 butterflies who call the house home, and even hold a newly-emerged butterfly. One of the highlights at Magic Wings Butterfly House is participating in a butterfly release, which is held regularly.” |
| State effort underway to buy land near Bennett Place |  | | Reenactor at Bennett Place |
Officials at Bennett Place State Historic Site in Durham are trying to raise $310,000 to buy a significant tract of land nearby. The N.C. Dept. of Cultural Resources says part of the original Hillsborough Road traveled by Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston to meet with Union Gen. William Sherman in 1865 is for sale. NCDCR Deputy Sec. Kevin Cherry says the state's option to purchase the 2-acre site expires Oct. 31; the state needs money to buy the land after officials were unable to secure a grant to pay for it. "When you don't have that (land), it really takes away from the educational feeling of going out on these historic grounds," site manager John Guss said. "Not only will it threaten the viewscape – the natural viewscape – but also we believe there might be some archeology that could be done there." Donations can be made to the Bennett Place Support Fund, 4409 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham, N.C. 27705. Online donations can be made via Bennett Place’s website by clicking on the PayPal button for payments by PayPal or credit card.
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| Carolina Publishing Associates names top field trip destinations | |
The Lazy Five Ranch in Mooresville is North Carolina's most visited school field trip destination, according to Carolina Publishing Associates' annual list of its top field trip destinations in the state. Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury was second followed by Discovery Place in Charlotte, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro. North Carolina Aquariums, the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, Tryon Palace in New Bern, Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, and Zootastic Fun Park in Troutman round out the top ten. |
| Bulk copies of 2014 N.C. Travel Guide available by request | |
Bulk copies of the Official 2014 North Carolina Travel Guide, North Carolina transportation maps, N.C. Winery Guides, and N.C. Civil War Trails brochures are available at no charge to visitors centers, attractions, accommodations, and restaurants for their visitors and guests. Printed at no cost to the state, the North Carolina Travel Guide represents a $1.1 million investment by Division travel partners in print and online advertising and cooperative marketing efforts. Destinations, attractions and accommodations are listed for free. There are 50 Travel Guides per box. Transportation maps are 200/box, winery guides are 175/box and Civil War Trails brochures are 300/box. To request bulk copies of any or all of these materials, email your specific items and quantity request plus physical delivery and phone information to visitnc@nccommerce.com. |
| Bishop new director for Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center | 
RoAnn Bishop has been named director of Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center in Old Fort. She may be contacted at (828) 668-9259 or via roann.bishop@ncdcr.gov. |
| Surveys, Industry, Marketing & Travel Trends | Hotels use online reviews as blueprint for renovations - As hotels in the U.S. continue on a surge in spending on renovations, an ever-more-important factor driving this investment is the growing clout of review sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp, and booking sites like Hotels.com. Hotel brands are reading what travelers say about them – and their competitors – and planning their investments accordingly. “It’s become a widely understood source of input for capital expenditures,” which are projected to hit a record $6 billion this year, said Bjorn Hanson, with NYU's Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. That is partly because people are quicker to complain on review sites and on social media, Hanson said. “Rates have gone up, so guests are expecting to see that reflected in the quality.” Often, disgruntled guests will not say anything to managers, making the monitoring of websites all the more important, said a hotel representative.
Majority of negative tweets posted while customers are in restaurant – Restaurants should regularly monitor Twitter because the vast majority of negative tweets are left while customers are still in the restaurant – and could be sorted there and then, according to an expert. Speaking at a conference last week, a Twitter representative said that just over half (52 percent) of Twitter users get information about restaurants from the social media platform, so it’s important that restaurants monitor their Twitter feeds and ensure they present themselves well. “Also 78 percent of [customers] who leave a negative comment are still in the restaurant while doing so,” he said. “This means, if you are monitoring your Twitter feed, you have the opportunity to nip it in the bud and actually go over and solve the customer’s problems and turn it into a positive interaction.”
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 | | NC GreenTravel: Tailgating parties can be sustainable | |
Football season is in full force drawing large numbers of fans to small college towns and large metropolitan cities all across the state. One of America’s favorite fall pastimes is to get together with friends and family to tailgate before the game. Whether at games or viewing parties, there are a number of ways to make tailgating festivities more sustainable. Hotels or event hosts should consider utilizing shuttle services for guests, which can greatly reduce the carbon footprint and alleviate the stress of game day traffic. Hotels or restaurants could host onsite tailgating parties for their guests, using biodegradable utensils, cups and plates so that they can be composted after use to reduce non-recyclable waste. If there is grilled food, use propane because it burns cleaner than charcoal or wood, making it the more environmentally-friendly cooking fuel choice. This is also the perfect chance to spotlight locally produced seasonal foods and beverages. Finally, make sure that waste receptacles at the tailgate party are labeled recycling, trash, composting, or reuse, to encourage the guests to make sustainable waste disposal decisions. For more information on sustainable tailgating, contact NC GreenTravel program manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140. For more information on sustainable tourism, contact Daniel Johnson with the Center for Sustainability at ECU at (252) 737-4296.
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For the week of Sept. 25 on North Carolina Weekend, enjoy the competitions and festivities of Scotland County Highland Games in Laurinburg. Celebrate the International Sardine Festival in Aberdeen. Relax at The Badin Inn in Badin. Tempt your taste buds at Iris restaurant, at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh. And enjoy a tour of the Inn of the Patriots in Grover. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) Due to special programming on PBS for Friday, UNC-TV will air North Carolina Weekend at 7:30 pm. North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions of North Carolina Weekendavailable online.
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Fifty-five percent of Mountain Region visitors lodged in a hotel/motel while 33 percent stayed at a private home. Five percent stayed in an RV park/campground, up from 3 percent in 2012. For more 2013 visitor profile information, click here. For more information, contact Tourism Research Manager Marlise Taylor at (919) 733-7278. |
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| Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events | Sept. 24-25 - Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. Regional Meeting, Bedford, Va.
Sept. 27 - National Public Lands Day, nationwide
Oct. 2 - Division's Mid-Year Marketing Update, Asheville
Oct. 8-10 – N.C. Tourism Leadership Conference, Winston-Salem
Oct. 10 - Division's Mid-Year Marketing Update, Winston-Salem
Oct. 10 - N.C. Sports Association Quarterly Meeting, Winston-Salem
Oct. 14-16 - STS Fall Forum, Charleston, S.C.
Oct. 16 - N.C. Coast Host Quarterly Meeting, Topsail Island or Greenville
Oct. 20-22 - Marketing Outlook Forum, Atlanta, Ga.
Nov. 3-6 - World Travel Market, London, U.K.
Nov. 10-13 - TEAMS Conference, Las Vegas, Nev.
Nov. 14 - AENC Marketing & Communication Conference, Durham
Nov. 20-21 - MPI-CC Meeting, Southern Pines
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Mailing Address:
4324 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4324 | Building Location:
301 North Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1058 |
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