North Carolina will recognize National Travel & Tourism Week 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.
As part of the celebration of National Travel & Tourism Week, the Division is encouraging industry partners to promote the “Power of Travel” as an economic force in North Carolina by communicating to local media the benefits of tourism to their communities. The Division has a sample letter to the editor and a guest editorial that can be personalized with a local message to share with local media; both can be downloaded from the Tourism Week Toolkit here. It is a great way to promote the 40,000 businesses and almost 200,000 jobs supported by the industry in the state. Please take a minute to personalize a letter to the editor of your local paper to promote the tourism achievements in the community to a wider audience. If you need to find your individual county statistics, click here. For more information, contact Eleanor Talley at (919) 733-0869.
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 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 nine N.C. Welcome Centers have events planned that span the tourism celebration dates.
May 7: I-40 West
May 9: I-77 North
May 10: I. I-95 North, I-26 East, I-77 South
May 11: I-26 West, I-85 North, I-85 South and I-95 South
May 18: “Pit Stop” at I-77 South
In addition, several industry partners have planned a variety of events in the state.
May 8: Greensboro Visitors Center Travel Rally Day is offering travel industry employees, local residents and visitors of Greensboro a complimentary lunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The Travel Rally begins at 2:30 p.m. with Assistant Sec. Lynn Minges and other state, local and travel industry professionals on hand in addition to local area college and university mascots, a military solider from the historical era, Indiana Bones from the Natural Science Center and musical guest Logie Meachum.
May 12: Wahoo’s Outpost near Boone is hosting the Third Annual Blues, Brews, BBQ and Canoes, noon-6 p.m. All front-line employees of the tourism industry are invited to come play in the canoes, kayaks and tubes, learn about area attractions and enjoy music, food and drinks. Plus, there’s free booth space offered to assist with tourism networking. An RSVP is requested by May 8 to (828) 262-5774.
May 15: NCTIA Industry Dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Porter’s Tavern in Raleigh. Contact Christine Flores at (704) 333-3234 to buy tickets for the event.
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 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 a.m. to 1 p.m.
NCTIA Board meeting – The NCTIA Board is meeting from 2-4 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.
May 17: US Travel Association Vote Travel Bus at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte at 9 a.m.