The first full week of May, May 4-May 12 this year, is annually recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week, a tradition first celebrated in 1984 as cities, states and travel businesses nationwide hold localized events to champion the power of travel. The U.S. Travel Association’s new advocacy and awareness campaign – Travel Effect – is the theme the 2013 celebration.
North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers celebrate National Travel and Tourism week by inviting travel partners to help thank North Carolina’s visitors for traveling here. Attractions and accommodations are invited to contact individual Welcome Center managers to coordinate participation in Tourism Day; there is no charge to participate, but space is limited and reservations are required. Welcome Center Tourism Week celebrations are scheduled for May 6 at I-40 West in Haywood County and I-85 South in Cleveland County; May 8 at I-77 North in Surry County; May 9 at I-26 East in Polk County and I-95 North in Northampton County; and May 10 at I-26 West in Madison County, I-77 South in Mecklenburg County, I-85 North in Warren County and I-95 South in Robeson County.
The U.S. travel community has collectively marked National Travel and Tourism Week in a number of creative ways, from staging local rallies and conducting media outreach to securing proclamations and resolutions from local legislative bodies. U.S. Travel provides a toolkit of resources for planning and staging local activities. The tool kit includes logos and graphics; talking points and facts; ideas to celebrate; sample invitation letters; sample proclamation; social media tips; and more. Travel Rally Day, May 7, is a concerted effort to demonstrate travel’s positive impact on local workers, businesses and economies – and, of course, on personal lives of travelers. The goal of Rally Day is to unite the local travel community with its supporters and publicly represent the importance of travel to media and elected officials.