| Weekly e-newsletter for VisitNC partners | September 6, 2017 |
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| IN THIS ISSUE:
* Visit North Carolina at ESTO * Visit NC promotes student group travel to N.C.
* TRAC coming to Washington/Beaufort County region Sept. 21
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 Visit North Carolina at ESTO
Visit North Carolina's Wit Tuttell, Mark Shore, Heidi Walters and Eleanor Talley attended ESTO (Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations) last week in Minneapolis, Minn. N.C. Dept. of Commerce's Visitor Services Program Manager Wally Wazan also joined the N.C. group. Tuttell was a panelist for "Not Your Fault, Still Your Problem: Marketing Through Policy Crises." The panelists discussed marketing responses using research, subtlety and nuance to overcome negative perceptions during a policy crisis. The other panelists included the Arizona Office of Tourism, Visit Phoenix, Visit Fairbanks, and Destination DC. ESTO, an event of the U.S. Travel Assn., is unique in that it was created by and exclusively for destination marketing professionals to learn about new tools and techniques, share best practices and debate pressing issues affecting destinations in a non-sales environment. |
 Visit NC promotes student group travel to N.C.
Visit NC's Amanda Baker attended the SYTA (Student and Youth Travel Association) Annual Conference and Showcase last week in Albuquerque, N.M. More than 900 delegates gathered at this year's conference and engaged in pre-scheduled meetings, networking events and educational sessions. Baker took more than 20 appointments with tour operators during the week, promoting student group travel throughout the state. These qualified leads will be available next week. For more information on Visit NC's student group travel program and for leads from the SYTA Conference, contact Amanda Baker at (919) 447-7765. |
 | | | A previous TRAC in Dobson |
TRAC coming to Washington/Beaufort County region Sept. 21
On Sept. 21, tourism-related businesses in Washington and the Beaufort County regional area - 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 NC's Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC) is a community-based training program designed to help small tourism-related businesses. The TRAC event will be held 10 am - 2 pm at the Washington Civic Center at 110 N. Gladden St. in Washington. 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 NC'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 NC 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 Andre Nabors at (919) 447-7771. |
 Hopscotch Music Festival's economic impact
In September and early October, downtown Raleigh alone will play host to more than 15 events that are projected to draw as many as 650,000 attendees, according to Visit Raleigh. One of the largest and loudest is Hopscotch Music Festival, now in its eighth year. Estimates of economic impact for 2016's festival were at $1.88 million dollars in direct spending from visiting attendees, and because of the extra day this year, that number will likely rise. Per Visit Raleigh's Tourism Talk blog, "Consider the 12 venues where the artists will appear. Most of them are concert spaces that serve food and drinks, so the beer and cash will be flowing freely. If there are visitors coming from 27 states (and granted, some of them might be using Airbnb), many will be staying in area hotels. Retailers will benefit from having new customers looking for souvenirs and gifts. And of course, all of those hungry music fans will be looking for something to good to nosh between shows. To state it more simply, direct visitor spending equals direct business sales." |
 Asheville Tourists draw 184,000 fans, break attendance record
McCormick Field has hosted Asheville Tourists baseball since 1924. In no season prior to 2017 has the Tourists home ballpark had as many fans pass through the gates during the regular season as it did this year. During the course of 68 home games, the Asheville Tourists drew an all-time regular season attendance record of 184,019 total fans. The number of fans per game averages out to 2,706. July 4, 2017 was the most attended game of the year with a crowd of 4,271. Opening day, April 13, was the second highest attended game of the season at 4,270. Seven of the 68 gate openings drew more than 4,000 fans including Aug. 9, where kids who completed a summer reading program were honored for their accomplishments. |
Treatment of Historic Properties Guidelines updated
A revised version is now available of The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings, according to the National Park Service's Technical Preservation Services. View the updated guidelines here or via TPS' website. The guidelines are an important part of the framework of the national preservation program, used at the federal, state and local levels to guide work on historic buildings. For this revised edition, the Guidelines have been updated to ensure that they continue to reflect best practices in historic preservation, apply to 20th-century building types, materials, and systems now considered historic, and incorporate modern methods and technologies. The Standards themselves have not been changed. Since this publication was last issued in 1995, a broader range of buildings and building types has been recognized as "historic" and eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The revised Guidelines have been expanded to address in particular the treatment of buildings constructed with newer materials and systems from the mid- and late-20th century. |
 Cataloochee Sunset Elk Excursion among '5 great American wildlife adventures'
For its "5 Great American Wildlife Adventures," Forbes included the Sunset Elk Excursion in Cataloochee. Of the trip, the article explained, "Take off to North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains National Park this September for a Sunset Elk Experience at The Swag. The cozy 14-room mountain top retreat has paired up with naturalist and elk expert Esther Blakely to lead guests on a four-hour sunset excursion through the Cataloochee Valley, where nearly 200 elk and black bears roam. During rutting season (when the elks breed) it's common to hear a bull elk's one-of-a-kind bugle, which ranges from a guttural moan to a high-pitched whistle followed by throaty grunts. The bugle is considered a challenge cry from one bull elk to another, often resulting in an antler wrestling showdown. It's a natural encounter you won't soon forget." |
 Blue Ridge Parkway among 'Best Road Trips in the World'
For its "The Best Road Trips in the World," Conde Nast Traveler editors included the Blue Ridge Parkway, in both North Carolina and Virginia. For the Blue Ridge Parkway, the online photo gallery article noted, "The Blue Ridge Parkway is America's longest linear park, running 469 miles through 29 counties in Virginia and North Carolina. The picturesque road is hugged by the soft green valleys that descend from the Blue Ridge Mountains, and often clouded by a heavy mist that can fall over the area in the early morning or at sunset-so drive with caution... Plan at least a night's stay at Hotel Indigo, a boutique downtown hotel in Asheville, North Carolina." |
 Explore Asheville becomes independent organization, moves to new location
The Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced a name change and move to a new location following its recent transition to an independent entity on July 1. As part of its transition, the former ACVB updated its organizational brand and adopted Explore Asheville as its new organization name. In addition, Explore Asheville CVB's 25-person staff relocated to new office space at 27 College Place in the Asheville Executive Office Park downtown. Phone numbers and emails remain the same. |
 Murphy now executive director for Alleghany County Chamber
Chrysty Murphy is now the executive director for the Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce. She may be contacted at (336) 372-5473 or via director@sparta-nc.com. |
 Perquimans County hires Smith as tourism director
Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce has hired Sharon Smith as its tourism director, effective immediately. She may be contacted at (252) 426-5657 or via tourismdirector@visitperquimans.com. |
Managing sustainability during storm-related gas price increases
There are quite a few questions about how storm-related gas price spikes can be managed, so NC GreenTravel offers some techniques for saving fuel. While it might not be known how travelers will react to higher gas prices, rising gas prices do have a direct impact on operating costs. Higher gas prices mean guest shuttle services, gas-powered lawn equipment and company vehicles cost more to operate. But there are some simple steps that can be taken to help reduce fuel costs and improve fuel economy. The U.S. Dept. of Energy's Fuel Economy estimates that just by keeping tires properly inflated, gas mileage can improve by as much as 4 percent. Instituting a no-idling policy for company vehicles and shuttles can also significantly reduce a business' gas costs. Another option to help reduce gas consumption is to replace gas-powered lawn equipment with electric versions. Not only do electric lawn tools cost less to operate, they are also quieter and easier to maintain. For more examples of other fuel efficient practices, visit NC Project Green's Transportation. For other ideas about going green, contact NC GreenTravel Manager, Tom Rhodes at (919) 707-8140. |
| | On North Carolina Weekend for the week of Sept. 7, enjoy the music and festivities at the Carolina in the Fall, a food & music festival in Wilkesboro. Meet feathered friends at Lorikeet Landing at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach. Celebrate mountain heritage and agriculture at the N.C. Mountain State Fair in Fletcher. Relax at the Cartwright House Bed & Breakfast in Oriental. And see what all the buzz is about at the Asheville Bee Charmer in Asheville. (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 Weekend available online. | In 2016, 29 percent of North Carolina visitors traveled to the Mountain Region, approximately 14.2 million person-trips. Seventy-nine percent of visitors to the Mountain Region are overnight visitors. For more North Carolina visitor information, visit the Visitor Profile Studies or contact Tourism Research Director Marlise Taylor at (919) 447-7748. |
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Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events
Sept. 13-14 - Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. Fall Meeting, Little Switzerland Sept. 16-20 - VMA/NCMA/MCASC Regional Meeting and Marketplace, Roanoke, Va. Sept. 17-18 - NCTIA Tourism Leadership Conference, Charlotte Sept. 21 - Visit NC TRAC, Washington Oct. 26 - NC Coast Host Quarterly Meeting, Wilson |
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