In this week's NewsLink... November 24, N.C. LODGING INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO SEE YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH

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In this week's NewsLink... November 24, 2010 1. N.C. LODGING INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO SEE YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH 2. DIVISION S MARKETING PROGRAM NETS VISITNC.COM RECORD VISITATION IN OCTOBER 3.

1 In this week's NewsLink... November 24, N.C. LODGING INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO SEE YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH 2. DIVISION S MARKETING PROGRAM NETS VISITNC.COM RECORD VISITATION IN OCTOBER 3. TUTTELL DISCUSSES TRENDS, VISITATION AND DIVISION S MARKETING AT SMOKY MOUNTAIN HOST MEETING 4. N.C. WINE & GRAPE COUNCIL FEATURED IN NEWS & OBSERVER AD SECTION 5. DIVISION EARNS HIGH RETURN ON VISITS FROM GERMAN TRAVEL WRITERS 6. NCSAA: TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF N.C. SKI INDUSTRY AMOUNTED TO $146 MILLION IN SEASON 7. INDUSTRY PARTNER NEWS 8. N.C. GREEN TRAVEL: TIMERS, SETTINGS AND AUTOMATION FOR LIGHTING 9. CBS SUNDAY MORNING VISTS BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS FOR FALL COLOR 10. NY TIMES: RALEIGH-DURHAM: NORTH CAROLINA S AXIS OF COOL 11. SURVEYS, INDUSTRY, MARKETING & TRAVEL TRENDS 12. YOUNG RETIRING FROM HIGH POINT CVB, WHICH NOW SEEKS NEW PRESIDENT/CEO 13. NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND 14. UPCOMING INDUSTRY MEETINGS & EVENTS 1. N.C. LODGING INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO SEE YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH October proved to be another good month for the North Carolina lodging industry. Growth in statewide occupancy, demand, and RevPAR remain steady. October 2010 occupancy was actually two percent higher than in 2008 and, though slight (+0.4 percent), ADR in the state had a second consecutive month of positive growth.

2 Year-to-date occupancy in North Carolina through October is up 6.8 percent as compared to the same time period in 2009, according to just released lodging data. This compares to a national level increase of 5.4 percent and a South Atlantic region increase of 5.6 percent year-to-date. Year-to-date demand for hotel/motel rooms in North Carolina is up 9.4 percent and room revenues are up 8.1 percent from 2009, though still down six percent from Regionally, the lodging industry is also showing signs of recovery. The Carolinas Region (Charlotte area) in particular is showing strong growth from last year. Year-to-date occupancy in that region is up 9.5 percent and demand is up over thirteen percent (+13.6 percent). Demand for lodging is up over ten percent (+10.1 percent) in the Southeast Region and is up over eight percent (+8.7 percent) in the Eastern Region year-to-date. The complete report is available at For more information, contact Marlise Taylor at (919) or via mtaylor@nccommerce.com. 2. DIVISION S MARKETING PROGRAM NETS VISITNC.COM RECORD VISITATION IN OCTOBER The Division s marketing efforts promoting fall foliage, fishing, scenic drives and seasonal events helped spark a record 406,842 visits to the VisitNC.com family of sites in October, as measured by Google Analytics. Fall represents an important shoulder season statewide and has always been a point of emphasis for the Division. Incremental marketing funds appropriated for allowed the Division to extend and expand on prior successes to provide additional exposure for North Carolina s

3 destinations, attractions and properties. Go to VisitNC to see what s new for winter and the holidays, including performing arts, lighting displays, historic tours and more. 3. TUTTELL DISCUSSES TRENDS, VISITATION AND DIVISION S MARKETING AT SMOKY MOUNTAIN HOST MEETING Director of Tourism Marketing Wit Tuttell spoke last week at the annual membership meeting of Smoky Mountain Host, Southwestern North Carolina s regional destination partnership organization for tourism marketing. Tuttell presented an overview of travel trends nationally, gave a profile of the visitation to the North Carolina mountains, and updated the group on the Division s current marketing activities. Also speaking at the program was Sutton Bacon of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, who provided a summary of opportunities to grow the region s tourism economy through the World Freelance Kayaking Championship, an international sporting event which will be held in 2013 in the Nantahala Gorge. The event is expected to bring to the region more than 400 athletes from over 40 countries and more than 100,000 spectators. For more information, contact Wit Tuttell at (919) or via wtuttell@nccommerce.com. 4. N.C. WINE & GRAPE COUNCIL FEATURED IN NEWS & OBSERVER AD SECTION The N.C. Wine & Grape Council PR Team worked with the N.C. Winegrowers Association and writer Jen Haga to provide statistics and information on the wine industry for a special advertising section in The (Raleigh) News & Observer. Define the Wine (circulation: 137,804) promoted the wineries and vineyards of North Carolina. In addition, the newly launched Southern Hospitality Traveler magazine (circulation: 10,000, mainly focusing on members of the hospitality industry) has a story in its new issue titled Exploring North Carolina and Virginia One Sip at a Time. The PR team and nine wineries across the state worked to host contributing writer Thei Zervaki earlier this year as she researched the story. 5. DIVISION EARNS HIGH RETURN ON VISITS FROM GERMAN TRAVEL WRITERS The Division hosted two German travel writers on individual press trips this summer, directly influencing many high-value stories in the German media in the months of September and October. With the help of partners from the Mountains and the Coast, the Division hosted travel writer Stephan Brünjes back in July. He has since published 12 articles about North Carolina valued at more than $300,000 with a total circulation of 10 million readers. With the help its Mountain partners, the Division hosted travel writer Matt Muencheburg in September for a motorcycle tour of the mountains. He has since published three articles valued at $43,000 with a total circulation of 11 million. 6. NCSAA: TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF N.C. SKI INDUSTRY AMOUNTED TO $146 MILLION IN SEASON According to the N.C. Ski Areas Association, the total economic impact of the ski industry in North Carolina amounted to $146 million in the season. For the winter season, total skier visits in the state were 671,554, total revenue was $32,526,608, year-round employment was 96, seasonal employment was 1,557, total

4 payroll was $8,700,000, and capital expenditures for the North Carolina ski industry as a whole were $3,341,237. A complete report for the NCSAA economic value analysis can be found at 7. INDUSTRY PARTNER NEWS Charlotte Motor Speedway Debuts Christmas Light Show -- Santa dropped into Charlotte Motor Speedway on a zip line and fireworks went off Monday night to celebrate the opening of Carolina Christmas, a 2.5-mile drive-through Christmas light park and village on the speedway's track and infield. Speedway officials say it's the world's largest display of LED lights animated to music. Visitors can also skate on a synthetic ice rink, check out a live nativity, stop by an elf's workshop and take carriage rides. "We do hope this will be a very profitable venture that will become a huge boost for tourism," spokesman Scott Cooper said, and officials hope Carolina Christmas will inspire non-race fans to check out other speedway events throughout the year. Carolina Christmas is also being marketed with nearby attractions, including Concord Mills mall, which draws about 500 motor coaches from Thanksgiving through Christmas, Cooper said. To find out more, visit Smokies Visits up 19 Percent in October -- October 2010 visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park jumped by 19 percent over the previous October. Visitation at the national park is up 2.9 percent so far this year compared with 2009, according to the park. To find out more, visit Andy Griffith Museum Has Banner Year -- The Andy Griffith Museum, which is home to the world's largest collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia, hosted 54,295 fans this year during its first full year in its new permanent home on Rockford Street in Mount Airy. That figure -- about five times the population of the whole town of Mount Airy -- nearly triples the museum's turnout from the previous year (18,636) and exceeds the 40,000-visitor goal town officials had hoped for. This year was also the 50th Anniversary of "The Andy Griffith Show," a fact which likely drew more fans than usual to the town's annual Mayberry Days festival. In fact, the biggest single day of attendance at the museum was 1,709 on September 24, during Mayberry Days. To find out more, visit blogs.newsobserver.com/tv/andy-griffith-museum-has-banner-first-year. Delta Will Stop LA to RDU Nonstops -- Delta Air Lines, which resumed once-daily nonstop flights between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and LA in June, will stop it as of Nov. 28. To find out more, visit blogs.newsobserver.com/business/delta-will-stoprdu-to-la-nonstops. GSO Adds Flights -- Allegiant Air has started new, nonstop jet service between the Fort Myers, Fla. area (Charlotte County Airport - PGD) and Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO). In addition, American Eagle Airlines, the regional affiliate of American

5 Airlines, has added an additional nonstop flight between Miami International Airport (MIA) and GSO. To find out more, visit 8. N.C. GREEN TRAVEL: TIMERS, SETTINGS AND AUTOMATION FOR LIGHTING Short days and the holiday season are the perfect mix for using more lights. And with everything that is going on this time of year, it can be easy to forget to turn the lights off when you leave, using more electricity and increasing utility bills. One option to help keep your operating costs down is to designate a member of your staff who is responsible for turning lights off. Another option is to use timers. There are all sorts of timers you can choose, from the very simple mechanical timers you can buy at any hardware store, to much more complex timers that are linked into an energy management system. If you use timers, it is important to remember to set them correctly and regularly check they are in working order. According to Green Lodging News, leaving your parking lot lights on just one hour too long in the morning and evening can lead to an increase of as much as $250 annually. You can learn more about energy efficient lighting by attending a free webinar on energy efficient lighting for the tourism industry. You can register for the Dec. 8 webinar at www1.gotomeeting.com/register/ For more information on the webinar, contact Garrett Ziegler at (252) or via GCZ0123@ecu.edu. For more information on sustainable tourism, contact Alex Naar at (252) or via anaar@nccommerce.com. 9. CBS SUNDAY MORNING VISTS BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS FOR FALL COLOR For its picturesque closing segment this past Sunday, CBS Sunday Morning visited the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for its viewers to enjoy the fall colors. To view the segment, visit Xmni. 10. NY TIMES: RALEIGH-DURHAM: NORTH CAROLINA S AXIS OF COOL In Sunday s New York Times Magazine, the publication featured Raleigh-Durham: Axis of Cool. With its food trucks, design collectives and rehabbed downtowns, the Research Triangle the patch of North Carolina that is home to Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and 150,000 college students seems to be yet another hipster vibe factory. But then you taste the okra and sniff the heirloom tomatoes. You meet an ex-vegan who s smoking whole hogs and a church pastor who plays in a secular rock group. And speaking of music, it s everywhere beamed out from great college radio stations, seeping out of historic rock clubs and packaged by a growing local record industry. To find out more, visit SURVEYS, INDUSTRY, MARKETING & TRAVEL TRENDS Spas Try to Shake Off Frou-Frou Image, Stress Health Benefits Most people who've had a lot of spa treatments swear by them as a way to de-stress, even to stay well. But many others still view a massage and other options as an indulgence, or as something women do. Like other industries, spas overall haven't been thriving lately.

6 And the frou-frou image is something they are trying to rub out, according to speakers at last week's International Spa Association (ISPA) Conference & Expo outside Washington, D.C. And so to thrive in a difficult climate, spas are honing their focus and branching out. To find out more, visit travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2010/11/spas-try-to-shake-off-froufrou-image-stress-health-benefits-/131752/1. USA Today Offers Photo Tour of Latest Hotel Amenities Featured at AH&LA Conference USA Today recently offered a photo tour of the latest hotel amenities that were featured at the American Hotel & Lodging Association s annual conference in New York City. During the conference, vendors pitched products they hoped would appear in hotels soon. New proposed amenities included a mini-fridge pull-out drawer that doubles as a nightstand, a variety of bathroom fixtures to eliminate clutter, peep-hole covers and options to replace the plastic hotel key. To find out more, visit travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2010/11/photo-tour-of-hotel-amenities-2010/132192/ YOUNG RETIRING FROM HIGH POINT CVB, WHICH NOW SEEKS NEW PRESIDENT/CEO Charlotte Young announced she is retiring from her position as president & CEO of the High Point CVB. Meanwhile, the High Point CVB is now seeking a new CEO/president. The job posting may be viewed at careers.destinationmarketing.org/jobs#/detail/ Deadline for consideration is Dec NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND For the week of Nov. 25 on UNC-TV's North Carolina Weekend, take in some art and enjoy at tour of the Germanton Gallery and Winery in Germanton. Check into the O. Henry Hotel in Greensboro. Lift a glass at Starrlight Mead in Pittsboro. Take flight with nature at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck. And the House Special samples the fare at Troutman s Barbecue in Denton. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is exclusively underwritten by the N.C. Division of Tourism. In addition, UNC-TV has made recent editions of North Carolina Weekend available online. For more information or to download a podcast, visit UPCOMING INDUSTRY MEETINGS & EVENTS Dec. 7 N.C. Travel & Tourism Board Meeting, Raleigh Dec. 9 AENC Annual Tradeshow, Raleigh Jan Blue Ridge Parkway Association Regional Membership Meeting, Luray, Va. Jan ABA Marketplace, Philadelphia, Pa. Jan N.C. Coast Host Meeting, Wilmington Jan MPI-Carolinas Chapter Meeting, Durham Jan N.C. Festivals & Events Association ShowFest, Greenville, S.C.

7 SHARE THE NEWSLINK Want to share the NewsLink with a friend or colleague? Sign them up now at Should you have difficulty signing up for NewsLink, contact Publications Manager Kathy Prickett at (919) or via kprickett@nccommerce.com. FEEDBACK WELCOME The N.C. Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development is committed to serving North Carolina's tourism industry. If you have feedback regarding any of the Division's programs, let your voice be heard at visitnc@nccommerce.com.

In this week's NewsLink... July 13, 2011

In this week's NewsLink... July 13, 2011 1. TRAVEL + LEISURE S WORLD S BEST AWARDS 2011 INCLUDES SEVERAL N.C. SITES 2. N.C. TOURISM LEADERS PARTICIPATE IN U.K. SALES & MEDIA MISSION 3. CONTACT INFO FOR