| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | September 28, 2016 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit NC highlights Masterminds, just in time for movie premiere * PR team's pitching, other assistance pay off with multiple destination coverage
* TRAC coming to Pender County region Oct. 13
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 Visit NC highlights Masterminds, just in time for movie premiere
The N.C.-filmed feature film Masterminds opens in theaters worldwide tomorrow (Thursday). To generate more interest, VisitNC now offers " See Where Masterminds Was Filmed and Dine Like a Star" as a way for potential visitors to find more information on film site locations around Asheville, Waynesville and Old Fort, plus places where the cast dine, drank and enjoyed themselves while they were here. Masterminds is a comedy feature based on the 1990's Loomis Fargo bank heist in Charlotte and incidents that followed. The production, which was heavily recruited by the N.C. Film Office for two years, shot in Bumcombe, Haywood and Macon counties in Summer 2014. It had a direct in-state spend of more than $18 million while creating 982 job opportunities, including approximately 300 well-paying crew positions for the state's highly-trained film professional work force. Masterminds was one of 50 productions that year which combined accounted for $316 million being spent in North Carolina and more than 19,000 job opportunities being offered with production taking place in more than one-third of the state's counties. View the Masterminds trailer here. |
Visit NC PR team's pitching, other assistance pay off with multiple destination coverage Cashiers and the "Shadow of the Bear" were highlighted in the Boston Globe in a feature headlined "Five unexpectedly cool places to see fall foliage that aren't in New England." The writer reached out to the Visit NC PR team for information about the seasonal phenomenon, in which the play of light at Whiteside Mountain causes a bear-shaped shadow to appear in the valley below. "This would be a primo spot to view fall foliage anyway, but the emergence of the bear puts it right over the top," the article said. The PR team also assisted the writer with sourcing an image from the Jackson County TDA. The coverage appeared in the print edition (circulation 232,546) and online, which has a readership of 5.5 million. |
 The PR team also worked with writer Sara Ventiera on a Food Network slideshow titled "Where to Eat at Every National Park" that included the Cataloochee Guest Ranch for visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (slide 53). Partners with entrances to the park responded to the PR team's outreach for recommendations, and the network chose the Haywood County guest ranch. The coverage reached an audience of 11.9 million. Bryson City was featured in the October issue of Southern Living magazine in a round-up showcasing "The South's Best Budget Friendly Getaways." The coverage resulted from the Visit NC PR team's ongoing outreach to writer Tanner Latham with photography provided by the Swain County Chamber of Commerce. The article, which has not been published online, reached the magazine's audience of 2.8 million. Restaurants from Carolina Beach to Bakersville were featured in an Edible Brooklyn article headlined "Savoring the Old, and New, North State." The Visit NC PR team worked with destination partners to host Ariel Lauren Wilson, who grew up in Mitchell County, on a culinary journey across the state. Baxter Miller, a visual creator at Chapel Hill Bit & Grain, accompanied her on part of the trip. Featured restaurants include Catch and Manna in Wilmington, Britt's Donut Shop in Carolina Beach, B's Barbecue in Greenville, Skylight Inn in Ayden, Sam Jones BBQ in Winterville, Flo's Kitchen in Wilson, Left Bank Butchery in Saxapahaw, Pizza Mercato in Carrboro, Bánh Mì Saigon Sandwiches & Bakery in Greenville, Kindred in Davidson, Heirloom in Charlotte, Highland Avenue Restaurant in Hickory, Fonta Flora Brewing in Morganton, Knife & Fork in Spruce Pine and Helen's in Bakersville. Breakfast at the Air B&B Duck Dance Farm in Celo was also covered. The article also appears in Edible Manhattan's fall travel issue with a photo of Catch on the cover. Combined readership is 79,000. |
 | | | A previous TRAC in Bryson City |
TRAC coming to Pender County region Oct. 13
On Oct. 13, tourism-related businesses in the Pender County region - including 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), a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses, will be held 10 am - 2 pm at Surf City Town Hall at 214 N. New River Drive in Surf City.
There is no charge to attend, no reservation is required, and there are no PowerPoint presentations. 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. Dept. of Commerce, N.C. Dept. of Natural & Cultural Resources and NC GreenTravel will also be 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 André Nabors at (919) 447-7771. |
 Visit NC's annual domestic sales mission sees great response
Partner and Trade Relations Specialist Amanda Baker led Visit NC's annual domestic sales mission last week, which began in Philadelphia, Pa., included a stop in Trenton, N.J., and finished in Pittsburgh, Pa. During the week, more than 10 partners from across the state participated in 12 appointments with pre-qualified group tour operators, and networked with fellow N.C. tourism partners along the way. For more information on the domestic sales mission, or for more ways to partner with Visit North Carolina for domestic group marketing, contact Amanda Baker at (919) 447-7765. |
 Wilmington region learns about visitor research for N.C.
Visit NC's Director of Tourism Research Marlise Taylor participated in the Wilmington and Beaches CVB's annual marketing meeting last week. Taylor presented visitor profile information, as well as a look at new research being used to track the links between exposure to VisitNC advertising and actual visitation through Arrivalist. The meeting drew approximately 80 attendees, including representatives from hotels, attractions and events in New Hanover County. For more information on Visit NC's tourism research, contact Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
 World of Bluegrass, Raleigh in the national spotlight this Friday
NBC is scheduled to broadcast segments of its morning show Today from downtown Raleigh on Friday to showcase the International Bluegrass Music Association's World of Bluegrass festival. According to WRAL, the Raleigh NBC affiliate, Al Roker will also make several appearances on WRAL's Morning News show in the 6-7 am hour. Once the nationally broadcast Today starts at 7 am, Roker will be featured in segments from downtown Raleigh in every hour through 10 am. |
 American Airlines' first Charlotte-Havana flight departs Nov. 30
American Airlines' inaugural Charlotte-Havana flight has been set for Nov. 30, the airline said Tuesday (yesterday). While the daily, nonstop flight connects CLT with Havana, for now, tourists won't be allowed on this flight. Travelers must fall under one of a dozen authorized categories, including family visits, humanitarian missions and journalistic activity. |
 Winners announced for N.C. State Fair wine competition
Stephens Vineyards and Winery of Lumberton won Best of Show and the N.C. Winegrowers Cup for its Pomegranate Wine during the 2016 N.C. State Fair Wine Competition. The N.C. Muscadine Cup was awarded to Chestnut Trail Vineyard in Mocksville for its Fantasia. This year's competition featured 480 entries from both commercial and amateur winemakers across the state. For a complete list of winners, click here. |
 Vote for N.C. businesses among 10Best's 'Makers in the USA'
Three N.C. businesses sites are among the nominations for three "Makers in the USA" 10Best categories. Online voting by readers is now open via USAToday.com's website; voting ends Oct. 24 at noon. |
 Asheville, Mount Airy in the spotlight For its "12 epic places to go paddleboarding," USA Today included Asheville. Of Asheville, the article said, "Wai Mauna Asheville SUP Tours will take you on a guided tour that will have you maneuvering around rocks and sections of fast-moving water. Or opt for a sunrise stand-up paddling tour in the Appalachian Mountains. It's a super unique way to start the day in Asheville, and the only place you can paddle at sunrise in the mountains on the entire East Coast. In the fall, guests take leaf-peeping SUP tours on the French Broad River." In a separate article, Mount Airy was featured in "Celebrity statuary: 10 towns that honor their famous residents." In addition to having the opening four photos in a 25-picture photo gallery, Mount Airy was the first example in the article, which said, "Mount Airy, N.C. was the late Andy Griffith's hometown, and the fictional 'Mayberry' featured in The Andy Griffith Show was patterned after the small town where he grew up. As such it makes sense that the town hosts a bronze statue of Andy and Opie walking to the fishin' hole. It was donated to the town of Mount Airy by TV Land in recognition of the avid following The Andy Griffith Show has enjoyed over the years, and stands in front of the Andy Griffith Museum, which opened in late 2009 and draws more than 50,000 visitors annually. Also check out the Andy Griffith Playhouse, the restored elementary school auditorium where Andy made his singing debut, located just a few steps away." |
 October brings the 'Mountain Issue'
October brings Our State's Mountain Issue, highlighting a variety of farms, towns and more. "Native" spotlights the wood duck, "City Portrait" highlights Salisbury, and "The View from Here" looks at Franklin. The October issue goes on sale next Tuesday. |
More ideas for waste reduction
One of the first questions many managers and owners ask when deciding if their property should implement sustainable practices is what is the cost of doing so? There are three different ways in which the cost of going green can be calculated. The first is the initial cost. For many sustainable practices, such as establishing a green teamor setting copiers and printers to default to print double-sided, the initial cost is only staff time. The next way the cost can be measured is the payback period. This is the amount of time it will cost for a green practice to result in the same financial cost savings as the initial cost premium of implementing the practice. For some sustainable practices, such as LED exit signs, the payback period can be as short as one year. Many experts prefer the third method of measuring the cost of implementing sustainable practices: return on investment (ROI). Calculating the full ROI of implementing sustainable practices can be difficult though. Factors such as improved staff morale or PR can be difficult to link to one specific sustainable practice. There are a number of resourcesand calculatorsthat can help determine the benefits of going green. To learn more about going greenor for technical assistance, contact NC GreenTravel Initiative Manager Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140. |
| | For the week of Sept. 29 on North Carolina Weekend, discover the folk art of Charlie Frye's Art Studio in Lenoir. Tempt your taste buds with a Banner Elk Foodie Tour in Banner Elk. Experience different cultures during the International Festival in Raleigh. Step back in time at the Bost Grist Mill in Concord. And "After Dark" enjoys an after-hours event at the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro. (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 lodging sector represents 19 percent of North Carolina's $21.96 billion in visitor spending, and 14 percent of total direct tourism employment. The food service sector represents 34 percent of visitor spending, and 45 percent of total direct tourism employment. For more facts on North Carolina tourism, visit Tourism Research or contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748.
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
Through Sept. 29 - NC Tourism Leadership Conference, Winston-Salem Oct. 5-6 - Blue Ridge Parkway Association Fall Meeting, Roanoke, Va. Oct. 11 - Visit NC Regional Listening Session, Cary Oct. 12 - Visit NC Regional Listening Session, Charlotte Oct. 13 - Visit NC TRAC, Surf City Oct. 20 - NC Coast Host Quarterly Meeting, Swansboro Nov. 3-4 - MPI-CC Meeting, Concord Nov. 9-11 - AARC Annual Conference, Asheville |
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