RALEIGH— The North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development today announced the release of three new tools to help travelers find their way to more than 100 wineries in North Carolina. A new winery guide, mobile website and billboard campaign are designed to draw attention to wineries as attractive destinations where visitors can connect with North Carolina traditions in taste and agriculture.
“The wine industry and travel and tourism industry are critical economic drivers for our state,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco. “These new tools will bolster North Carolina’s efforts to attract more visitors to their favorite wineries or enable them to find new wine destinations in our state.”
“America’s viticulture story begins in North Carolina,” said Lynn Minges, Assistant Secretary of Tourism, Marketing and Global Branding for the N.C. Department of Commerce. “More than four centuries later, the state has cultivated a $1.28 billion wine industry that has made North Carolina one of the top states for wine tourism. These new tools will help travelers plan their trips and also encourage those driving through our state to stop and spend time here.”
The new travel tools are:
· Mobile website — visitncwine.com: With travelers on the move increasingly using their smartphones and other mobile devices to find their way, the Division has introduced a mobile web application for visitncwine.com. It includes:
o Listings, descriptions, mapping/directions and photos for each of the wineries.
o Ability to search for wineries and winery events.
o Geo-location for proximity searches.
o Filters for regions, amenities and the state’s three American Viticultural Areas.
o Opportunity to capture personal lists of “Favorites” and places to “To Visit.”
o Access to real-time updates that keep the information current and accurate for travelers.
o For a screen grab of the mobile site, go to: http://www.nccommerce.com/w/resources/marketing-tools/websites
· The North Carolina Winery Guide: This pocket-size brochure will combine panoramic views of North Carolina wine with close-ups of each winery. Users can learn about the variety, traditions and nuances of North Carolina wines with breakouts on grape species and hybrids, glimpses of history, and color photographs that reflect the scenic backdrops of wine destinations. The 56-page brochure will also provide maps and winery listings that include a brief description, directions, contact information, amenities and grape varieties. The free guide is available at North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers, at wineries across the state and by calling 800-VISITNC. To see images of the guide, go to: http://www.nccommerce.com/w/resources/marketing-tools/brochures
· Outdoor advertising: New billboards are providing statewide exposure for wineries and the visitncwine.com website. Outdoor boards are strategically placed on key corridor highways to reach North Carolina residents and out-of-state travelers who may be looking for a stopover destination or activity. They also promote the new mobile website application for visitncwine.com. Images of attractive vineyard landscapes are paired with headlines such as “Wine needs time to breathe. So do you.” To see images of the billboards, go to: http://www.nccommerce.com/w/resources/marketing-tools/outdoor-advertising-program.
“Whether travelers prefer red or white, muscadine or Merlot, many develop deep connections to North Carolina as they explore the diverse and beautiful wine regions of our state,” Minges said. “The Division’s Winery Guide, billboard advertising campaign and mobile website will make sure they find their way to the more than 100 unique wineries in North Carolina.”
North Carolina has a long and rich history with wine dating back to Giovanni da Verrazano’s discovery of the first cultivated grape in the Cape Fear River Valley in 1524, and the state is home to the Mother Vine, the nation’s oldest known cultivated grapevine. Today, North Carolina’s thriving wine industry generates an annual economic impact of $1.28 billion and supports 7,600 jobs across the state. The number of wineries has doubled since 2005 and grown five-fold in the last decade.
In the 2011-2012 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, a legislative change shifted the marketing efforts for the wine industry to the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. This change enabled the wine industry to fully integrate into the Division’s comprehensive and innovative tourism marketing programs for both domestic and international audiences.
Follow North Carolina wine on Facebook at facebook.com/visitncwine and on Twitter via @VisitNCWine.