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Visitor Services/Welcome Centers

 

When the North Carolina Welcome Center program opened in 1968, it included two centers that greeted fewer than 150,000 visitors. Today, nine centers greet visitors from all fifty states and around the world. Many things have changed since those two Welcome Centers opened in 1968, but one thing has remained constant: North Carolina hospitality.

 

Located at the state's borders, all Welcome Centers have a statewide focus, with an emphasis on information for visitors traveling a particular interstate corridor. Professional, nationally-certified travel counselors located at each Welcome Center: 

 

  • Distribute the state’s Official North Carolina Travel Guide, the Department of Transportation’s official state map, and other marketing publications exclusively about North Carolina.
  • Offer detailed travel information in clean, modern facilities.
  • Book room reservations at no charge for visitors staying overnight in North Carolina.

 

The Welcome Centers are open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. The centers are closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

 

All Welcome Centers provide satellite television for travelers interested in news and weather updates, and all have high-speed internet connections and computers at the reception desks to enable travel counselors to assist travelers.

 

For more information about each of the North Carolina Welcome Centers including photos and on-site facilities, click here.

 

Together with the Department of Transportation, the Division continues to modernize Welcome Center facilities with these recent upgrades:

 

  • In 2003, the state’s newest Welcome Center opened on I-26 in Madison County.
  • In 2005, a major renovation of the I-85 South Welcome Center in Cleveland County was completed, along with a less extensive update at I-26 in Polk County.
  • In Spring 2007, the I-85 North Welcome Center in Warren County was renovated, with new lighting and fixtures and an enlarged reception desk.
  • In Fall 2009, renovations were completed at the I-77 South Welcome Center and Rest Area in Mecklenburg County.

 

In addition to the Welcome Centers, there are also Visitors Centers on U.S. highways that focus on local, rather than statewide, attractions and events. Instead of being operated by the Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development, these Visitors Centers are operated locally.


 

For more information about North Carolina’s Visitor Services, visit the links below:

North Carolina Welcome Center Attendance

 

North Carolina's Welcome Center Brochure Policy North Carolina's Welcome Center Brochure Policy


Visitor Services
Inquiry / Call Center

Visitor Services

Wally Wazan, Visitor Services Program Manager 
(919) 715-2098
Physical Address:
301 N. Wilmington St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Mailing Address:
4324 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4324
wwazan@nccommerce.com

 

Evelyn Ruth Ragan, Receptionist
(919) 733-7228
eragan@nccommerce.com

 

Cynthia Ferguson, Visitor Services Program Assistant 
(919) 733-7479
cferguson@nccommerce.com

 

Larry Strickland, Warehouse Supervisor
(919) 662-4493
Fax:  (919) 661-4860
lstrickland@nccommerce.com

Physical Address:
3221 Durham Dr.
Raleigh, NC  27603

 


Inquiry


 

Jade Feliciano, Fulfillment Supervisor
(919) 715-5759
jfeliciano@nccommerce.com

 

 

Lori Murrell, Toll-Free Operator Supervisor
(919) 715-5900
lmurrell@nccommerce.com

 

 

 

 

Welcome Centers

 

Visit the Department of Transportation's website to view an interactive map of Welcome Center locations.

 

Margaret Ritchey, I-26 East Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
I-26 at Mile Marker 68
Columbus, NC 28722
Mailing Address:
PO Box 249
Columbus, NC  28722

(828) 894-2120

mritchey@nccommerce.com

 

 

Vickie Sealock, I-26 West Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
I-26 at Mile Marker 6
Mars Hill, NC 28754
Mailing Address:
Box 1210
Mars Hill, NC  28754
(828) 689-4257

vsealock@nccommerce.com

 

 

Tina Evans, I-40 West Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
I-40 at Mile Marker 10
Waynesville, NC 28786
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 809
Waynesville, NC  28786

(828) 627-6206

tevans@nccommerce.com

 

 

Oma Boyd, I-77 North Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
I-77 at Mile Marker 105
Dobson, NC 27017
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1066
Dobson, NC  27017
(336) 320-2181

oboyd@nccommerce.com

 

 

Louie Comer, I-77 South Welcome Ctr. Manager
Physical Address:
I-77 at Mile Marker 1
Charlotte, NC 28241-0724
Mailing Address:
PO Box 410724
Charlotte, NC  28241
(704) 588-2660

ccomer@nccommerce.com

 

 

Mary Perkinson, I-85 North Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
I-85 at Mile Marker 231
Norlina, NC 27563
Mailing Address:
PO Box 156
Norlina, NC  27563
(252) 456-3236

mperkinson@nccommerce.com

 

 

Donna Williams, I-85 South Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
I-85 at Mile Marker 2
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
Mailing Address:
5 Northbound I-85
Kings Mountain, NC  28086
(704) 937-7861

dwilliams@nccommerce.com

 

 

Edith Jenkins, I-95 North Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
1 I-95 Southbound Hwy
Pleasant Hill, NC 27866
Mailing Address:
PO Box 52
Roanoke Rapids, NC  27870
(252) 537-3365

ejenkins@nccommerce.com

 

 

Demetrius Hunt, I-95 South Welcome Ctr. Manager 
Physical Address:
I-95 at Mile Marker 5
Rowland, NC 28383
Mailing Address:
Box 999
Rowland, NC  28383
(910) 422-8314

dhunt@nccommerce.com
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Inquiry / Call Center

 

The Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development maintains a toll-free telephone line, (800) VISIT NC, to help visitors to North Carolina plan their vacations. A staff of 32 operators responds to visitor inquiries from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

 

The Inquiry/Call Center also sends out more than 250,000 travel packages annually to potential visitors. You can order the Official North Carolina Travel Guide by calling (800) VISIT NC or visiting the brochure request section of the www.VisitNC.com website.

 

Monthly inquiry reports are available on the reports section of the VisitNC.com website for the current year and last year. These reports include information about inquiry methods, market areas, media, interest and/or geography.

 

Additionally, the Division of Tourism encourages North Carolina counties and attractions to make presentations to the Call Center staff to ensure that the operators have up-to-date information.  To discuss a presentation about your attractions, please contact:

Wally Wazan

(919) 715-2098
wwazan@nccommerce.com
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