‘Hunger Games’ helps shine media spotlight on N.C. destinations


The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development has helped cast a bright spotlight on North Carolina destinations by garnering expansive and valuable media coverage of sites used in the filming of “The Hunger Games.” The Division’s Public Relations team has been proactively pitching the film’s travel angle to print, broadcast and online outlets for several months, and it is paying off in a big way. Already the Division’s placements have reached an audience of 13 million and earned more than $1.5 million in total editorial coverage. Here are just a few of the highlights:

  • On March 23, “The Today Show” featured North Carolina as the place to visit “Hunger Games” sites.
  • Last week, the Associated Press placed a story on the wire where it has been picked up by countless outlets including Yahoo.
  • On March 23, N.C. Film Office Director Aaron Syrett and Director of Tourism Marketing Wit Tuttell appeared in a Fox News segment.
  • On March 22, The Toronto Star featured this story on the front page of its travel section.
  • On March 26, CNN.com posted a story and slideshow.

In addition to these placements, the PR team is working with “The Today Show” on an exciting segment this week, and the team is expecting coverage in an upcoming edition of The New York Times.

‘Hunger Games’ Ticket Sales Set Record (The New York Times, March 25)

“The Hunger Games” Four-Day Itinerary is currently the most downloaded itinerary for March and “Hunger Games” has been the top internal search request on VisitNC.com for March with more than triple next closest search.

Governor Bev Perdue said on March 22 that the state stands to win big with the March 23 opening of “The Hunger Games” as movie-driven tourism generates a dividend on top of the economic boost from the production, which was shot entirely in North Carolina. The Lionsgate release, based on the first novel in a bestselling trilogy by Suzanne Collins, is expected to be one of the year’s highest-grossing films.
 
“The success of ‘The Hunger Games’ has cemented North Carolina’s status as a premier venue for making blockbuster films,” Perdue said. “North Carolina also reaps part of the film’s financial success, as the filmmakers employed nearly 5,000 people and spent about $60 million in our state. Now fans will be excited to visit the locations they see on the screen and go to places the stars visited. The money those fans spend here go to North Carolina businesses and benefit the state’s taxpayers.”
 
The N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development has worked to leverage the economic opportunities of “Hunger Games” tourism. Newly developed travel tools, accessed at VisitNC.com, will guide visitors to film sites, star hangouts, and places that connect with the characters and other elements of the novel.

The tourism boost from “The Hunger Games” will underscore the value of the state’s 25 percent film incentive. Along with great locations and a professional crew base, the incentive was a key reason the filmmakers chose North Carolina.