N.C. Welcome Centers now provide free Wi-Fi for visitors


Just in time for the busy July 4 weekend, North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers now provide free Wi-Fi for visitors. Signs inside the Welcome Centers direct visitors to see a travel counselor for a password to gain access. “We’re pleased to provide this additional service to our visitors, both to welcome them to our state and to provide them with an easy way to get information about North Carolina,” said Bryan Gupton, director of visitor services for the NC Dept. of Commerce. The Welcome Centers recently installed electronic guest registries as well. “We’re using our wireless capabilities to provide services to our visitors, like Wi-Fi and kiosks, but we’re also using this technology to help identify and respond to visitor needs,” Gupton said.
 
The Welcome Centers promote thousands of tourism-related businesses – attractions, accommodations, events and more – to visitors already in the state actively seeking travel information. Located on interstate highways just inside the state line, each Welcome Center has a statewide focus, with an emphasis on information for visitors traveling a particular interstate corridor. Professional, nationally-certified travel counselors located at each Welcome Center distribute the state’s Official North Carolina Travel Guide, the N.C. Dept. of Transportation’s official state map, and other marketing publications exclusively about North Carolina; offer detailed travel information in clean, modern facilities; and, book room reservations at no charge for visitors staying overnight in North Carolina. The Welcome Centers are open from 8 am – 5 pm daily. The centers are closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For more information about North Carolina’s Welcome Centers, click here or contact Bryan Gupton at (919) 814-4643.