Tourism remains one of North Carolina’s most vital industries. The economic activity and employment generated by tourism spans various economic sectors. Annually, visitors to North Carolina spend over $16 billion, generating over 190,000 jobs for North Carolinians. State and local tax revenues, as a result of visitor spending, total more than $1.3 billion.
The Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development helps the state's tourism industry promote its services to attract visitors to North Carolina state with:
NC Tourism Intiatives for 2009-2010
Challenging Economy Offers Opportunity for Partnerships, Fresh Thinking
The North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development embraces targeted communication strategies as occupancy numbers weaken against economic forces.
Division initiative promotes meetings in North Carolina
In an effort to meet the unprecedented economic challenges of the past year, the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development has rolled out initiatives to bring visitors to North Carolina and help tourism partners throughout the state succeed despite the current global economic downturn.
The Division refocused its marketing campaign around emotional motivators fortravel appropriate to the values in today’s economy. The campaign features messaging on the state as an outdoor playground, an urban experience where people reconnectand a place where children and families bond.
The campaign rolls out across many mediums:
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Magazine print ads appearing this fall in major travel and lifestyle magazines. In some cases, advertorial content was written to complement the new ads, highlighting fall events and North Carolina’s food, wine and beer offerings.
Spread Ads
Page Ads
Travel & Leisure, 6-page South East Advertorial
Gourmet Advertorial
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Partnerships with the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and the North Carolina Press Foundation will leverage these new concepts to fill remnant radio, television, newspaper, and online space to promote travel to residents.
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A new radio campaign began September 14 in key drive markets. The talent for the radio campaign focuses on the unique “characters” of North Carolina and their passion for the state. All of the ads play up fall events and fall travel experiences.
To hear audio samples of the new radio campaign, visit the 2009-2010 NC Tourism Initiatives page at media.visitnc.com
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The state will expand its calendar of media missions to reach out to members of the press and inform them of news and travel destinations in the state under these same thematic umbrellas. This year’s targets include media in key locations of New York City, Birmingham, Ala., the Greenville/Spartanburg region in S.C. and Richmond, Va.
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A new Special Offers section on the site, accessible from the home page and www.VisitNC.com/offers, gives destinations, hotels and shops across the state a place to market deals and packages. Participation in this program is free to destinations through December 2009.
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The Division is partnering with travel destinations and marketing groups to offer affordable co-op advertising. These opportunities allow destinations, attractions and accommodations the chance to appear along with the Division and other similar partners in magazines such as “Oprah” and “Southern Living.” The Division is also offering customized advertising programs on VisitNC.com with discounts based on volume.
Spread Co-op ad in Oprah Magazine
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The state’s “Fabulous Fall Fun” campaign launched on www.VisitNC.com on September 15 and offer weekly giveaways, promote different reasons to travel in the state each week, and offer visitors up-to-the minute fall color and fall fishing reports beginning Sept. 29. The reports will be enhanced by travel destinations that share their news and events via Twitter@VisitNC (live link please) and www.facebook.com/northcarolina.
VisitNC.com
Retirees and visitors planning a vacation to North Carolina can get travel information about accomodations, events and attractions at VisitNC.com, the Division's consumer website.
Calendar of Events
To find out about travel and tourism-related events, visit the Calendar of Events. In addition, details on upcoming Division events are available on the Tourism Events page.
Newslink Letter and Signup
Newslink, the Division's free newsletter targeted to travel industry, media and government representatives is distributed weekly and contains valuable information on tourism related research, statewide and international trends, media leads, updates on conferences and events, and more. Subscribe to Newslink or visit the Newslink archives to view current and past issues.