North Carolina will recognize National Travel & Tourism Week next month with a range of events locally and statewide designed to highlight the contributions of the travel and tourism industry to the state’s economy. Local communities and businesses are encouraged to mark the period from May 3 through May 17 with events to showcase to policymakers and citizens the integral role tourism plays in the economies all 100 counties in North Carolina.
Visitors traveling to and within the state of North Carolina spent a record $17 billion in 2010, supporting more than 40,000 North Carolina businesses and directly supporting 183,900 jobs all across the state. State and local tax revenues generated as a result of visitor spending totals more than $1.5 billion annually North Carolina ranks as the sixth most visited state in the United States. The state’s natural scenic beauty, rich history and culture, vibrant cities, quaint small towns, and central East Coast location make it an ideal travel destination. And the abundance of direct air access into the state from national and international destinations around the globe has helped to position it as a preferred international travel destination.
The Division is joining the N.C. Travel & Tourism Coalition, the N.C. Travel Industry Association, and other industry partners to emphasize the economic benefits of tourism. North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers will mark the period with celebrations with partners to thank visitors for traveling to the state, and the state’s official recognition of Tourism Day will be on Wednesday, May 16, with a full slate of activities in Raleigh.
The U.S. Travel Association and the Division of Tourism provide a number of free, useful resources to help you plan and stage effective activities in support of National Travel & Tourism Week, including everything that you will need to organize and host a local travel rally for Travel Rally Day on Tuesday, May 8. Take advantage of the toolkit’s templates to write proclamations for your local town council or county commission, craft op-ed pieces for your local newspaper and see how to use social media to deliver your message about National Travel & Tourism Week and the value of North Carolina’s tourism industry.
To mark Travel & Tourism Day in North Carolina, NCTIA is hosting an industry dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, at Porter’s City Tavern in Raleigh. The dinner is open to all. Tickets are $30, which covers the cost of the meal, and can be purchased directly from Porter’s. T. Jerry Williams and Dana Simpson will review tourism-related issues and talking points for discussions with legislators on Wednesday. Their message to legislators is simple: “Tourism creates good American jobs.”
Events for North Carolina Travel & Tourism Day, May 16, include:
Legislative meetings – Interested parties are encouraged to make appointments to meet with their legislators to discuss tourism-related goals for this session and the importance of tourism to each of North Carolina’s 100 counties throughout the day.
Breakfast – The Travel & Tourism Coalition is hosting a private breakfast for legislators at 8:30 a.m., following its Tuesday board meeting.
Power of Travel Announcement – Gov. Bev Perdue is scheduled to hold a media briefing at the State Capitol at 10:00 a.m. to announce 2011 data regarding visitor spending, job creation and state tax revenue. She will also issue a proclamation declaring May 16 North Carolina Tourism Day. Tourism industry partners are invited to attend the briefing.
N.C. Travel & Tourism Board meeting — The N.C. Travel & Tourism Board is meeting in the 4th floor boardroom of the N.C. Dept. of Commerce in the New Education Building from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
NCTIA Board meeting – The NCTIA Board is meeting from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Sheraton in Raleigh.
Evening Reception – NCTIA is hosting a private reception for members, industry partners and members of the General Assembly at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For information on sponsorship or to purchase a ticket, contact Christine Flores at (704) 333-3234.