March 5, 2014

In this issue:

 Governor's Conference in Charlotte  Tuttell at DMO Mojo  N.C. Airport & Airline news ...and more

N.C. Governor's Conference on Tourism sets attendance record

The 2014 N.C. Governor's Conference on Tourism saw a record attendance of 591 tourism industry professionals. Gov. Pat McCrory addressed the group and recognized five new Winner's Circle recipients (see story below). These tourism, business and government leaders from across the state gathered this week at the Westin Charlotte in Charlotte. This year, the Division's annual conference featured Roger Brooks' keynote address on "Tourism in the 21st Century," an interview-style session with UNC-TV's Deborah Holt Noel and author Charles Frasier, and a first-look at the Division's new advertising and marketing program The opening reception at the NASCAR Hall of Fame revved up attendees for the upcoming 2014-'15 fiscal year

Participants attended breakout sessions on a range of subjects that included social media, attracting media attention, utilizing research, and the value of working with a film production. The Division also examined changes to VisitNC, which launched July 1, and to the Extranet, emphasizing the importance of keeping the information updated.

The Division partnered with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority to host eight travel writers and editors on a media familiarization tour prior to the conference. Media attendees experienced a tour of the Mint Museum, the Levine Museum of the New South, 7th Street Public Market, and numerous restaurants in the area. During the conference, the writers participated in three public relations breakout sessions, where they provided professional insights and heard story ideas from tourism partners across the state.

The final day's breakfast was presented by the Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen Area CVB and Pinehurst Resort, host of the 2015 N.C. Governor's Conference on Tourism, in Pinehurst March 8-10. Presentations from the conference will be available next week on the 2014 N.C. Governor's Conference on Tourism website.

Media coverage of the conference appeared on the Charlotte Observer, The Examiner and WCNC. Read the tweets on Twitter and posts on Facebook, plus checkout the photos on Flickr.

Gov. McCrory recognizes Winner's Circle recipients

Gov. Pat McCrory recognized five distinguished North Carolinians on Monday during the N.C. Governor's Conference on Tourism for their significant and continuing contributions to the growth and success of North Carolina's tourism industry. He presented the 2014 Winner's Circle Awards to NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty; Horace Holden, Aurelia Kennedy and Payson Kennedy, founders of the Nantahala Outdoor Center; and Charlotte Deputy City Manager Ron Kimble.

"We congratulate this year's recipients for their lasting impact on tourism in the state," McCrory said. "Tourism is such an important economic driver for us, and it's visionaries like these who have helped develop all the diverse and unique attractions we enjoy in North Carolina."

Tuttell discusses branding importance at Mojo

Executive Director Wit Tuttell spoke at the DMO Mojo event in last week. He spoke on the importance of branding to bottom-line revenues for destination marketing organizations. DMO Mojo is an annual think tank and conference for destination marketers. Organized by MMGY Global hospitality and travel marketing agency, DMO Mojo featured two days of direct, candid discussions on all-things travel and tourism with the nation's leading destination marketers.

Popular N.C. Beer Month returns in April

North Carolina, one of the nation's top craft beer states, celebrates the craftsmanship of 100 breweries and destinations that embrace it with the return of NC Beer Month in April. N.C. Beer Month, co-sponsored by the Division and the N.C. Craft Brewers Guild, directs travelers to a rising range of beerscapes, from brewery- rich cities and welcoming towns to unexpected finds in lesser-known places. Major festivals, singular events, special-edition beers, lodging packages, beer dinners, and brew schools showcase the breadth and depth of the state's appeal.

More than 70 breweries and industry partners across the state are participating. However, any tourism-related business that is interested in hosting a special event to

spotlight North Carolina beers is welcome to have its event listed on the N.C. Beer Month website. In addition, special offers such as accommodation packages may also be included. There are numerous ways to highlight and promote North Carolina beer tourism via accommodations and restaurants and through events and special offers. For inspiration, visit NC Beer Month to see what's already there. To discuss ideas or special offers by accommodations and/or restaurants, contact Public Relations Representative Suzanne Brown at (919) 715-6703. Contact your local VisitNC/Extranet contact to get N.C. Beer Month-related events listed.

Under the Dome begins production on Season 2

The dome is officially descending upon the Wilmington region again as CBS' smash hit series from last summer, Under the Dome, began shooting season two this week. The show, based on the Stephen King book of the same name, follows the picturesque small town of Chester's Mill and its residents who scramble to survive after a mysterious, impenetrable dome suddenly appears, separating them from the outside world. Premiering to

more than 13 million viewers last June, Under the Dome's pilot was the most watched summer series debut since 2002 and paved the way for the show to become the runaway hit of the summer. During its 13 episodes, the show garnered an average of more than 10 million viewers.

The N.C. Film Office started recruiting Under the Dome in late 2012; the show started work on its first season last March. This past December, Gov. Pat McCrory announced popular television productions fueled one of the strongest years experienced by the film industry in North Carolina. More than 60 productions registered with the N.C. Film Office and filmed in North Carolina in 2013. Those productions amassed a record-high of more than 5,700 production days with filming taking place in more than 30 of the state's 100 counties. Year-end projections showed television and film productions had a direct in-state spend in excess of $254 million and created more than 4,000 well-paying crew positions for the state's highly skilled workforce. These productions created nearly 25,000 job opportunities (full time equivalent and temporary jobs), including talent and background extra positions, for North Carolinians. These numbers are the second highest in the industry's history for in- state spending by productions as well as total job opportunities created.

McCrory: Events will help boost N.C. economy

Gov. Pat McCrory wants to recruit more recurring events to the state to help with the tourism industry, but at the same time has said he is reconsidering the tax incentives offered to woo Hollywood productions. The governor says he wants to focus on bringing more recurring events, like last week's CIAA tournament. "The CIAA, the races, the football and basketball games, the arts and crafts, those are the events that have long term sustainability and a long term economic impact on jobs in North Carolina," he said.

CIAA to stay in Charlotte for six more years

The CIAA basketball tournament will remain in Charlotte

for six more years, it was announced Monday. The CIAA had said previously it wanted to issue a formal request for proposals to cities interested in hosting the event. But Charlotte's more lucrative financial package helped persuade the CIAA to stay. In addition, the CIAA announced it will relocate its conference headquarters to Charlotte from Hampton, Va. CRVA Chief Executive Officer Tom Murray said the CIAA is the city's "largest convention on an annual basis." The tourism authority has estimated the CIAA resulted in just under $30 million in direct spending last year. Visitors for the tournament have been estimated to use 40,000 hotel room nights.

Volleyball tournament returns to Raleigh, bringing $600,000 to economy

One of downtown Raleigh's largest youth sporting events returns this weekend for the sixth consecutive year, when the Mid-Atlantic Power League (MAPL) volleyball tournament takes place in the Raleigh Convention Center, according to the Greater Raleigh CVB.

The event will be played on 24 courts set up on the Raleigh Convention Center's 150,000-square-foot exhibit hall floor. Triangle Volleyball Club, the official tournament host, is expecting 138 visiting teams from 14 states, spanning from Maine to Georgia. The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, a host partner for MAPL, is projecting 4,200 total visitors and nearly 1,700 hotel room-nights, with visitor spending estimated at more than $600,000.

Calculating the value of culture

Though determining the value and benefits of festival and events is difficult, organizations are finding it increasingly important to prove that these events are economically beneficial to communities. Chambers of Commerce, municipal governments, arts councils, and other event stakeholders use this information to help determine the return on investment of events. The Asheville Citizen-Times looked at "Calculating the Value of Culture," reporting that music festival organizers for Moogfest estimate a $30 million impact to the area, essentially doubling the impact of the 2011 festival.

Chris Cavanaugh, of Magellan Strategies, notes that economic impact studies are important to secure funding from local governments and foundations, plus they help reveal community impacts, and can be used to benchmark successes. The information from impact analyses helps determine whether projects are a good investment for communities, and whether they should continue to be funded.

Similar to the Moogfest study, a similar study was performed by the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville. Formerly the Asheville Civic Center, the U.S. Cellular Center hosts the Southern Conference basketball tournament in early March. The 2013 impact was estimated to be $4 million, with strong empirical data coming from tournament organizers, local hotels and schools that book for the teams. Chris Corl, with the U.S. Cellular Center, noted economic impact studies are "very standard for government- owned facilities, and almost a requirement for the civic center."

Plan now for National Travel & Tourism Week, May 3-11

Travel Weekly notes it's not too early to begin the countdown to National Travel & Tourism Week, which will be observed May 3-11. The theme this year is the "Travel Effect," a term coined by the U.S. Travel Association that roughly translates to "travel is good for you."

Travel & Tourism Week is designed in part to remind legislators, mayors, consumers and others in the business community that the enterprise of travel accounts for 3 percent of the U.S. gross domestic

product, 12 percent of American jobs and close to $130 billion in state, local and federal tax revenue. It's good for the economy. Of course, travel professionals don't need to be reminded of the benefits of travel, but that's not the purpose of Tourism Week. The purpose is to give travel professionals the opportunity to remind everybody else.

NPS report: Economic impact of national parks to local communities

Boosted by an additional 4 million visitors in 2012, national parks across the country continued to be important economic engines, generating $26.75 billion in economic activity and supporting 243,000 jobs, according the 2012 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, a peer- reviewed report released Monday by the National Park Service.

The report shows that Western North Carolina's three national park units - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site - help generate millions of dollars for the local economies. Almost 25.9 million visitors spent

more than $1.6 billion, supporting more than 23,000 local jobs.

The one Piedmont region national park unit -Guilford Courthouse National Military Park - welcomed 313,374 visitors, who spent nearly $18.6 million, which supported 272 local jobs.

The report for the Coast region shows more than 3.61 million visitors to Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Moores Creek National Battlefield, and Wright Brothers National Memorial spent nearly $201 million in communities surrounding the parks. This spending supported 2831 local jobs.

"National parks like Yellowstone and Gettysburg are places of unimaginable beauty and powerful history that help tell America's story while connecting us with nature," said U.S. Sec. of the Interior Sally Jewell. "At the same time, our national parks help propel our nation's economy, drawing hundreds of millions of visitors every year who are the lifeblood of the hotels, restaurants, outfitters, and other local businesses that depend on a vibrant and reliable tourism and outdoor recreation industry supported by our public lands."

American Tobacco Trail Bridge over I-40 in Durham

Durham's got something only Forth Worth, , has: an arch-supported, stress-ribbon pedestrian bridge. If you walk down the American Tobacco Trail or drive down Interstate-40 through Durham, you'll see the $11 million bridge - a work of steel art, consisting of a large metal arch of rolled steel that bows over I-40 with no support in the center. The walking deck is only 12 inches thick and is made of concrete and reinforced steel. This bridge is being touted as the second of its kind in the country, and it opened for public use last Thursday. The bridge completes the trail's missing link between Chatham and (photo courtesy City of Durham Office of Public Affairs) Durham counties. The American Tobacco Trail is a 22- mile long rail-to-trail conversion that runs on the former Norfolk & Southern railroad corridor route and crosses through Durham, Chatham and Wake counties.

N.C. Airport & Airline News

AVL-Palm Beach flight starts in May Allegiant Air will start service from Palm Beach International Airport to Asheville Regional Airport. The twice-weekly flight, beginning May 15, will be on Thursdays and Sundays. Palm Beach makes the fifth airport in Florida that the low-cost carrier offers for Floridians to visit the Asheville region.

US Airways adding flights to CLT from Oklahoma City and Tulsa Charlotte Douglas International Airport will soon have nonstop flights from two new Midwest destinations: Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla. The flights will be operated twice daily by US Airways Express on regional jets starting July 2.

Babe Ruth's first in flight in Fayetteville The Sun in its Travel section last week offered "Babe Ruth's first in flight in Fayetteville," a history lesson on Babe Ruth's first home run but also a visit to Fayetteville today for its readers. "On Saturday, March 7, 1914, George Herman Ruth planted his feet in the batter's box of the baseball diamond at the Cape Fear Fair Grounds in Fayetteville, N.C., and slammed a pitch. Fayetteville has never let go of that historic moment. Babe Ruth is still reverently referred to, his name inserted into local newspaper articles and spotlighted at a

couple of local museums. Ruth wouldn't recognize Fayetteville today. The city percolates with tourist attractions, from Heritage Square's house museums, the Museum of the Cape Fear (a regional history museum), and the 97-acre Cape Fear Botanical Gardens to the Civil War, American Independence and Gaelic Beginnings Heritage Trails. As Ruth once said, I got to some bigger places than Fayetteville…but darn few as exciting.' It's a city that lives up to its motto: History, Heroes and a Hometown Feeling."

Food Paradise will feature 12 Bones' Hogzilla

A popular Asheville restaurant is about to get some air time - again. The River Arts District's 12 Bones Smokehouse will be one of the subjects of a Travel Channel program, which will film March 18 in the area. The series, "," covers havens for certain types of foods across America. It's accessible fare; think "Chili Paradise," "Bacon Paradise," even "Sausage Paradise." This time, the focus is on 12 Bones' ludicrously porky Hogzilla, which Garden and Gun magazine named one of the top barbecue sandwiches in the country. No air date has been set for the feature.

Pernell named I-85 North Welcome Center Manager

Jody Pernell of Henderson has been named manager of the I-85 North Welcome Center in Warren County. Pernell joins the Welcome Centers with nearly 20 years of customer service experience, having served as general manager of Greenway's Authentic Charcoal Grill in Henderson and Middleburg Steak House in Middleburg. Pernell joined the other eight Welcome Center managers at the N.C. Governor's Conference on Tourism this week in Charlotte. She can be reached at (252) 456-3236 or via [email protected]. Special thanks to Hattie Williams, a longtime travel counselor at I-85 North, who had served as acting manager at the Welcome Center.

NC GreenTravel: Greening of conferences and events

This year's Governor's Conference on Tourism in Charlotte featured a number of sustainability-oriented practices that showcased the added value of going green for event organizers and attendees. Green practices, like publishing an electronic copy of the conference program, not only reduced the amount of paper and printing costs, but also allowed conference attendees to directly connect to through their smart devices to the conference's social media efforts and Web links, as well as Division staff's contact information. Holding the conference within walking distance of area attractions and accommodations, which reduced the need for using personal cars, also allowed conference attendees to enjoy the host city without having to worry about traffic and parking. These types of value-added green practices are a growing focus for many meeting planners who are looking for ways to reduce costs, while maintaining or even enhancing the experience for attendees. However, one common mistake that many meeting planners do is they fail to effectively communicate the effectiveness of their corporate social responsibility efforts. One simple way to better communicate with attendees is by being recognized by an organization that specializes in recognizing green meetings and events such as NC GreenTravel. For more information about becoming recognized by NC GreenTravel, contact NC GreenTravel program manager Tom Rhodes, or contact Alex Naar with the Center for Sustainable Tourism at ECU at (252) 737-1346.

For the week of March 6 on UNC-TV's North Total precipitation in North Carolina in 2013 Carolina Weekend, take in the Picasso was nearly 60 inches, 24 percent more than Ceramics Exhibit at Methodist University in the state received in 2012 and the most the Fayetteville. Enjoy a tour of Raleigh via state has seen since 2003. For the Mountain Triangle Glides Segway Rides. Explore the Region, with more than 75 inches, it was the Hickory SALT Block in Hickory. Discover the highest amount since record keeping began in House of Flags Museum in Columbus. And the 1895. "House Special" samples the fare at Wang's Bistro in Zebulon. (Please note: listings are It is important to track this data as visitation subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is to the state's many outdoor activities and underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. attractions can be affected by weather. For In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions more tracking on precipitation, temperature of North Carolina Weekend available online. and gas prices, view the North Carolina Travel Tracker. For more information on tourism research, contact Tourism Research Manager Marlise Taylor at (919) 733-7278.

Upcoming Industry Meetings & Events

March 5-9 - ITB, Berlin March 20-21 - MPI-CC Meeting, Columbia, S.C. March 23-26 - STS Spring Symposium, Lexington, Ky. March 23-26 - SE TTRA Annual Conference & Tourism Research Symposium, Lexington, Ky. March 31-April 1- N.C. Main Street Conference, New Bern April 5-9- U.S. Travel Association IPW, , Ill. May 3-11 - National Travel & Tourism Week, nationwide May 7-8 - Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. Annual Meeting, Blowing Rock May 13 - NC Travel and Tourism Board Meeting, Raleigh May 18-19 - MPI-CC Chapter Meeting, Concord May 28 - 12th Annual Tourism Loves Back Legislative Reception, Raleigh

Mailing Address: Building Location: 4324 Mail Service Center 301 North Wilmington Street Raleigh, NC 27699-4324 Raleigh, NC 27601-1058

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