For the week of May 23 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, thrill to the new sport of bellyaking on the French Broad River in Asheville. Experience the wonders of nature at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck. Take in a show or enjoy any other of the activities at the Theater of the American South Festival in Wilson. Step way back in time at the Aurora Fossil Museum in Aurora. And the “House Special” samples the fare at The …
Category: Tourism
Amtrak’s Piedmont fastest-growing in U.S.
Amtrak’s Piedmont train service was number one in the nation in growth within the Amtrak system during fiscal year 2012. According to Amtrak reports, March 2013 saw a 10 percent increase in Piedmont ridership over March 2012, and a 21 percent increase in revenue over the same period. The Carolinian, which saw a suspension of service for most of March last year for track work, had a 61 percent increase in ridership in March over last year, and a 90 …
Boone ranked 4th for restaurant growth; Laurinburg and Kill Devil Hills also among top 10
Boone recently landed among the top five cities in the nation on Nielsen’s annual Restaurant Growth Index. According to the company, the Restaurant Growth Index, or RGI, “charts restaurant openings and sales to identify the nation’s hottest markets.” Boone landed at No. 4 on the list, behind Ocean Pines, Md., Findlay, Ohio, and Liberal, Kan. “Boone is a tourist destination, drawing 225,000 each year. It’s also home to Appalachian State University, which has seen dramatic growth in the last decade …
Ghost Town plans Memorial Day opening
Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park in Maggie Valley is scheduled to open this year, kicking off its 2013 season Memorial Day weekend, thanks to the grit, passionate and determination of its new owner and longtime champion Alaska Pressley, who has slogged ahead with her dream despite hoops and hurdles. Ghost Town had a soft opening last summer where visitors could take a chairlift up the mountain and visit a museum with Ghost Town memorabilia for a discounted ticket …
Charities are the winners in Masonic Pig Jig Competition and Shriners Fish Fry at the Got to Be NC Festival
RALEIGH — The Masonic Pig Jig Competition will celebrate its ninth year of friendly competition for a cause on Saturday at the Got to Be NC Festival at the State Fairgrounds. The event has become a big draw for pork lovers, Masons and those who want to dine for a good cause. The Amran Shriners Fish Fry will also be raising money for charity Friday through Sunday, with proceeds from the sale of seafood plates benefitting Shriners hospitals and charities. …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of May 16 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, Relax with river cruise aboard the Catawba Queen off Queen’s Landing in Mooresville. Enjoy a stay at the Tapoco Lodge in Robbinsville. Take in a performance by the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh. Challenge your green thumb with Seagrove Orchids in Seagrove. And discover the art of The Creative Center in Greensboro. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. …
Amtrak’s Piedmont fastest-growing in U.S.; NCDOT, Amtrak Celebrate National Train Day
Amtrak’s Piedmont train service was number one in the nation in growth within the Amtrak system during fiscal year 2012. According to Amtrak reports, March 2013 saw a 10.3 percent increase in Piedmont ridership over March 2012, and a 21.7 percent increase in revenue over same period. The Carolinian, which saw a suspension of service for most of March last year for track work, had a 60.8 percent increase in ridership in March over last year, and a 90.1 percent …
N.C. Winery Guides now available
A new N.C. Winery Guide is in print and available free of charge. The winery guide is funded and produced by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, but it will now be distributed through the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. The guide can be ordered online or by calling 1-800-VISITNC or 1-877-3NC-WINE. Winery guide orders, whether through VisitNC.com or by phone, are fulfilled at the Division’s Call Center, located at the N.C. …
Statewide visitor profile provides key marketing data
The 2012 North Carolina Visitor Profile, which includes a wealth of demographic and spending data, is now available on the Tourism Division’s website at no cost. The research provides critical data that help to guide the Division’s marketing decisions. For example, in 2012, 80 percent of all domestic visitors came to North Carolina for pleasure purposes, while 11 percent of visitors came to conduct business (includes meeting/convention). The average household trip expenditure for overnight visitors was $540; daytrip parties to …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of May 9 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, step back in time while still enjoying the artwork at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem. Soar through the trees at ZipQuest in Fayetteville. Learn more about N.C. wines and food and get help finding the perfect selections at UnWined in Moncure. Enjoy one or more of the Six Sundays in Spring concerts in Wake Forest. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Root & …
NC State Tax Receipts from Visitor Spending Approach $1 Billion
RALEIGH, N.C. – Governor Pat McCrory is proclaiming May 4-12, 2013, as Tourism Week in North Carolina, joining destinations across the state to celebrate travel and tourism as a record-breaking industry that is vital to the economic stability and growth of the state. North Carolina ranks as the sixth most visited state in the country. Newly released figures from the U.S. Travel Association show that in 2012, domestic visitor spending reached a record $19.4 billion, a 5.4 percent increase that …
Tour Film Sites From Iron Man 3
Picture this: It’s mid-2012, and downtown Wilmington is like a planetarium, with stars popping up all over the place. Cameras roll at the Wilmington Convention Center, where Julianne Hough is filming a sequence for Safe Haven. Tim Guinee and Elizabeth Mitchell stroll down Front Street for a scene in NBC’s Revolution. At Elijah’s Restaurant on the Cape Fear Riverwalk, Jennifer Aniston gets acquainted with scores of people who’ll work with her on We’re the Millers. Co-star Emma Roberts frequents Folks …
North Carolina Shares the Spotlight With Iron Man 3
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 1, 2013)— With Friday’s arrival of Iron Man 3 as summer’s first must-see movie, North Carolina becomes summer’s must-see state. Filmmakers transformed coastal Wilmington, small-town Rose Hill and suburban Cary into California, Tennessee, Florida and even Afghanistan in the high-tech adventure, which opened overseas to rave reviews and record-smashing box office receipts. And as the movie was being shot, the stars found their way to first-rate restaurants and other attractions that boost the state’s appeal. To help travelers …
Traveling dinosaur promotes N.C. Zoo
Deinonychus is a moving, snarling, animatronic dinosaur that will travel the Piedmont, safely contained in the bed of a Chevrolet pickup, in the coming months to promote the N.C. Zoo’s highly popular Dinosaurs exhibit. Nearly 240,000 people, representing more than 35 percent of zoo visitors, toured the zoo’s first “Dinosaurs” exhibit in 2012. Now a whole new cast of 15 creatures has been chosen for the 2013 Dinosaurs experience that are bigger, bolder and better. Among the featured species this …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of May 2 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, rediscover timeless music classics at the N.C. Music Hall of Fame in Kannapolis. Rev your engines during the Timeless Cruizers Car Show in Efland. Enjoy a stroll through NoDa, Charlotte’s historic arts district. Try your luck fishing along the Pamlico in Beaufort. And sample the fare at Dajio Restaurant in Ocracoke. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. …
2014 U.S. Opens already creating a buzz
The U.S. Open doubleheader, the first of its kind, at Pinehurst No. 2 is more than a year away but is picking up momentum. USGA officials who handle the tournaments were at a meet-and-greet last week to talk about June 2014, when the men’s and women’s opens will be played in consecutive weeks on the same course. Reg Jones, the director of U.S. Open championships for the USGA, noted that big-time golf isn’t new to the Pinehurst area. “Next year …
Rock removed, Chimney Rock reopens
A boulder that’s been teetering above the main road through Chimney Rock State Park finally came down last Thursday. The rock had drawn safety concerns which have had the park closed since April 10, “That rock took a lot of work … to get it down,” said Dayna Regerro, an event planner for the park. “They used an expansion agent, they chipped away at it with various tools large and small, and they used a little bit of dynamite on …
Charlotte OKs plan for Panthers stadium upgrades
Charlotte’s city council voted unanimously Monday night to approve an agreement to provide $87.5 million for upgrades to the team’s 17-year-old stadium in exchange for a commitment to stay in North Carolina’s largest city for at least another six years. The council’s action came on a voice vote. It means the city will contribute $87.5 million in hotel tax and food and beverage tax revenues for renovations to Bank of America Stadium. The first phase of the improvements will include …
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of April 25 on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, enjoy the works presented at the National Watercolor Society Traveling Exhibit at SASi in Kings Mountain. Test yourself at the Inner Peaks Climbing Center in Charlotte. All aboard at the New Hope Valley Railroad in New Hill. Relax at The Inn on Main Street in Weaverville. And the “House Special” samples the fare at Finch’s in Raleigh. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten …
More than $1 million set aside for NC beach nourishment
The Army Corps of Engineers received more than a million dollars of federal money for beach nourishment projects on Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, additional funding designated to help coastal communities recover from damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy. That funding, announced last week, is separate from the roughly $500,000 given to the corps earlier this month for maintenance dredging in two local inlets. The money – a total of $1.5 million – is additional funding for a $9.3 million renourishment …