Annual report of the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development |
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NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT Date: September 11, 2012 Client: North Carolina Tourism Job number: 000289 Home/Title Page YEAR IN REVIEW INQUIRY FULFILLMENT DOMESTIC TRAVELERS INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY RELATIONS WINE FILM SPORTS CONTACTS 2 2011 THE YEAR IN REVIEW North Carolina's tourism industry achieved new milestones in success in 2011, with each of the state's 100 counties reporting increased visitor spending. Domestic visitors to North Carolina spent a record $18.4 billion, and when combined with the growth in international travel to the state, resulted in $19 billion in total visitor expenditures for 2011. This record spending directly supported 196,100 jobs with a payroll of $4.36 billion and generated $1.52 billion in state and local tax revenues for reinvestment in communities all across North Carolina. Statewide partnerships with destinations, attractions, lodging and dining properties and associations statewide remain key to North Carolina's success. Despite a marketing budget ranking 27th out of the 50 states, North Carolina ranked sixth nationally in overnight visitation in 2011. Program Highlights for 2011 The Division launched a new marketing communications campaign in 2011, striving to establish a more emotional connection between travelers and North Carolina. While continuing to showcase the state's renowned scenic beauty and vibrant cities, the "Deeper Connections" message strategy is well suited for sharing more stories about the distinctive places, personalities and flavors that call North Carolina home. The VisitNC.com family of websites attracted 3.87 million user sessions, a 5.48 percent increase over 2010, and provided more than 1.14 million downstream referrals to North Carolina industry partner websites. The Division introduced a new mobile website promoting wine tourism, making it easier for travelers and wine enthusiasts to plan their visits to the more than 100 wineries across the state. The Film Office continued to leverage the state’s 25 percent tax credit for film, television and commercial production in its marketing, and collaborative efforts with partners statewide led to more than 31,000 jobs and $241 million in direct spending during 2011. Among many highlights was the filming of The Hunger Games in the Western and Charlotte regions. The Division’s partnership with the North Carolina Sports Association and NC Amateur Sports continued to pay dividends with the state’s success in attracting sporting events to small and large communities. Tourism development outreach in small communities was strengthened through several initiatives including the ongoing partnership with the NC Department of Transportation and NC Department of Cultural Resources in the popular North Carolina Civil War Trails program, an expanded schedule for the Division’s Tourism Resource Assistance Center program and four regional Mid-Year Marketing Update sessions. The Division continued its collaboration with East Carolina University's Center for Sustainable Tourism and the Office of Economic Development to promote environmental and social responsibility throughout the state's tourism industry, including use of a staff member to help strengthen the state's leadership position in sustainability. 3 Cooperative marketing programs with NC travel industry partners and effective partnerships with in-state media associations resulted in an estimated $6 million in incremental direct investment, in-kind support and brand exposure for North Carolina and VisitNC.com within and outside the state. Please review the balance of this Annual Report for more details on the Division's 2011 program of work and accomplishments. We remain committed to our collaboration with partners statewide to ensure North Carolina's continued growth and success as a preferred travel, film and sports destination and positive economic force for the entire state. 2011 RESULTS Visitor Spending • In 2011, domestic visitors to North Carolina spent a record $18.4 billion in the state, an increase of 8 percent from 2010. • Domestic visitor spending directly supported 187,900 jobs for North Carolina residents, and the tourism industry directly contributed $4.18 billion to the state’s payroll in 2011. • Traveler spending generated $2.8 billion in tax receipts ($1.3 billion in federal taxes, $1.01 billion in state tax revenue and $560.5 million in local tax revenue). Source: U.S. Travel Association 2011 Travel Volume • North Carolina person-trip volume was 37.2 million in 2011. North Carolina ranked No. 7 in total domestic person-trip volume and No. 6 for overnight domestic person-trip volume. Domestic person-trip market share was 3.8 percent (4.2 percent for overnight visitors). 2011 Total State Rankings By Volume 1. California 2. Florida 3. Texas 4. New York 5. Pennsylvania 6. Ohio 7. North Carolina 8. Illinois 9. Michigan 10. Georgia Average Trip Spending • North Carolina overnight visitor parties spent approximately $576 per trip in 2011, up 14.7 percent from 2010. Out-of-state visitors spend significantly more than resident visitors traveling within the state ($681 vs. $387). • U.S. travelers on average spent $685 per trip in 2011. 4 Average Overnight Trip Duration • The average length of stay of North Carolina visitors was 3.5 nights in 2011, up from 3.3 in 2010. Resident visitors spent an average of 2.5 nights, while out-of-state visitors spent 4.0 nights on average, an increase from 3.8 in 2010. • U.S. travelers spent an average of 3.3 nights per trip. NC’s Top Activities for Overnight Visitors NC 37% VA 9% GA 7% SC 6% FL 6% TN 4% PA 4% NY 4% OH 3% NJ 3% MD 2% TX 2% NC’s Top Activities for Overnight Visitors Visiting relatives 36.3% Shopping 21.4% Visiting friends 18.1% Beach 15.7% Rural sightseeing 15.2% Fine dining 13.8% Historic sites/churches 10.0% Urban sightseeing 8.5% State/national park 8.5% Museums 7.5% Wildlife viewing 6.3% Old homes/mansions 5.3% Art galleries 3.9% Hiking/backpacking 3.8% Nightclub/dancing 3.8% Gardens 3.8% Nature travel/ecotouring 3.2% Golf 3.1% Fishing (fresh or saltwater) 2.8% Casino/gaming 2.9% Special events/festivals 2.7% Bird watching 2.3% Camping 2.3% Wine tasting/winery tour 2.2% Biking 2.0% Spa/health club 2.0% Youth/amateur/collegiate sporting events 1.7% Theme park 1.7% 5 Theater/drama 1.5% Zoos 1.5% 2011-2012 BUDGET OVERVIEW For fiscal year 2011-2012, the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development was funded by appropriations from the legislature in the amount of $12.75 million, including approximately $1.8 million for the state's nine Welcome Centers. Media Purchase & Production $4,200,000 Personnel & Administration 2,450,000 Welcome Centers 1,800,000 VisitNC.com Development & Maintenance 1,500,000 International Marketing (Canada, Germany, U.K.) 653,500 Film Office Marketing 100,000 Inquiry Fulfillment 300,000 Public Relations 500,000 Domestic Sales Promotion 350,000 Industry Relations 100,000 Research 200,000 Printing & Production 100,000 Wine Tourism 500,000 Total $12,753,500 Projected State Tourism Office Budgets 2011-2012 According to the U.S. Travel Association of America, North Carolina, with a budget of $10.5 million, ranked 27th in projected state tourism office budgets. 6 INQUIRY FULFILLMENT 1-800 VISIT NC In 2011, the Division of Tourism received 3.6 million inquiries and mailed 137,153 NC Travel Guides to potential visitors. Reader Service 137,153 1-800-VISITNC Calls 23,028 Web Inquiries 3,637,401 7 Total 3,803,582 VISITNC.COM Overview As the state’s official travel website, VisitNC.com hosted 3,873,377 user sessions, a 5.48 percent increase from 2010. VisitNC.com generated a total of 2,965,941 web inquiries in 2011. Key 2011 VisitNC.com Performance Indicators • 221,396 site visitors participating in sweepstakes • 53,304 Travel Guides ordered from website • 145,406 downloads of virtual brochures • 100,180 downloads of itineraries • 111,015 new subscriptions to eNewsletters • 1,176,341 searches performed • 16,569 clicks to view online Travel Guide • 1,140,668 clicks to partner websites Electronic Communications Relationships with visitors and prospective visitors are enhanced and strengthened through a number of electronic opt-in initiatives promoting destinations, attractions, new experiences, upcoming events and special offers that make a trip to North Carolina more attractive. The Events eNewsletter has been particularly successful. Its rapid growth to more than 78,000 subscribers reflects the increasingly important role special events play in sparking leisure travel. Display (Banner) Advertising 93 participating partners 120 display ads 9,779,921 total impressions 54,479 clicks to partner sites 0.61 percent click-through rate Virtual Brochures 79 virtual brochures 65,998 downloads Featured Event Listings 39 participating partners 124 total featured events 213,942 views of featured events 27,456 clicks to partner sites 8 Sweepstakes 14 participating partners/16 sweepstakes 221,396 total entries Most Popular Sweepstakes 1. Carolina Beach in June 2. Smoky Mountain Host in August 3. Wrightsville Beach in March International Complementing VisitNC.com, five custom microsites appeal to prospective travelers in the markets that continue to be top international priorities for the Division. UK.VisitNC.com 17,156 visits 34,739 page views 2.02 average number of page views per visit 1:35 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 22,997 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from U.K. travelers DE.VisitNC.com 14,416 visits 34,841 page views 2.42 average number of page views per visit 2:28 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 8,635 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from German travelers JP.VisitNC.com 8,692 visits 16,901 page views 1.94 average number of page views per visit 1:34 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 6,326 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from Japanese travelers MX.VisitNC.com 22,112 visits 41,004 page views 1.85 average number of page views per visit 1:20 minutes, average visit duration 9 Microsite complemented by 3,103 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from Mexican travelers QC.VisitNC.com 13,333 visits 30,595 page views 2.29 average number of page views per visit 1:52 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 74,638 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from Canadian travelers Search Engine Marketing VisitNC.com 9,869,187 total impressions 59,349 total clicks $1.25 average cost-per-click for these leads VisitNCWine.com 185,785 visits in 2011 4.07 average page views per visit 4:39 average time spent on site 97,119 clicks to partner sites in 2011 Media.VisitNC.com 23,165 visits in 2011 2.08 average page views per visit 1:35 average time spent on site SportsNC.com 10,900 visits in 2011 1.51 average page views per visit 0:38 average time spent on site NCFilm.com 103,183 visits in 2011 3.18 average number of page views per visit 2:10 average visit duration DATABASE AND WEB MANAGEMENT WELCOME CENTERS North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers hosted 7,102,513 visitors in 2011. A breakout of the number of visitors by Welcome Center location is below: 10 2011 Welcome Centers – Estimated Visitors I-95 S 1,132,766 I-95 N 1,569,637 I-85 S 631,445 I-85 N 627,160 I-77 S 292,835 I-77 N 965,809 I-40 W 953,262 I-26 W 279,134 I-26 E 650,465 TOTAL 7,102,513 The I-95 North Welcome Center continues to be the most visited, hosting 1,569,637 travelers in 2011. Welcome Centers registered 13,250 visitors from other countries, including 7,732 from Canada. In 2011, Welcome Centers booked 17,593 room nights, representing total revenue of over $1.4 million, with an average rate of $81.86 per room night. PUBLICATIONS The Official 2012 North Carolina Travel Guide was the primary fulfillment piece provided to potential travelers to and within the state. • This 174-page publication, published in December 2011, featured the state’s mountain, piedmont and coastal regions with listings for 831 attractions and 3,939 accommodations. • The cover featured a stunning sunrise at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier in Wrightsville Beach. o 600,000 copies were produced at no cost to the Division or the taxpayers of NC. o 126 partners placed advertisements in the 2012 NC Travel Guide. The Division also launched several new videos for the online version of the Travel Guide. By incorporating rich media, animated digital ads and embedded video features, the digital guide reaches and engages North Carolina’s core customer with a unique online experience. • 29,942 different visitors accessed the online guide for an average of 2,495 per month. • Visitors viewed a total of 530,353 pages, for an average of 44,196 page views per month. • Each visitor spent an average of 11 minutes with the 2011 digital guide, viewing an average of 28 pages per visit. NewsLink • E-mailed weekly to almost 2,300 subscribers, legislators, economic developers and media. 11 • In 2011, NewsLink covered 752 stories within the 52 weekly and three “Special Edition” issues. • NewsLink provided timely information on tourism-related research, statewide and international trends, media leads, updates on conferences and events plus other items of interest to those in the tourism field. There is no subscription charge for this e-newsletter, and it is available to anyone with a valid e-mail address. It is only sent to those who have requested the e-newsletter. DOMESTIC MARKETING American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace January 2011, Philadelphia, PA One of the premier industry events for the group travel industry, allowing Buyers and Sellers to meet face-to-face in pre-scheduled appointments. In addition to the quality appointments, Marketplace offers professional education seminars and numerous networking opportunities. o Teamed with Visit Charlotte to host a Marketplace Luncheon for all delegates. o Teamed with 37 in-state partners to host 25 tour operators for dinner. o Conducted 29 appointments with tour operators during the week, promoting group travel throughout the state. Travel South Showcase February 2011, Atlanta, GA Showcase is a regional appointment-style marketplace focused on increasing travel to and within the Southern states. Showcase offers the most targeted opportunity for tour operators / wholesalers and travel service providers to meet face to face with Southern travel suppliers. o Teamed with 15 travel industry partners, conducted strategic, business development meetings with more than 275 tour operators from more than 30 states plus Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan. o Briefed domestic and international media and tour operators, focusing on what’s new with the state’s tourism products and on North Carolina’s position as a travel destination market leader. Familiarization Tours o Annual Blue Ridge Parkway FAM Tour – Partnered with Virginia and Tennessee to host a seven-day tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway with 26 AAA and CAA representatives from the United States and Canada. Spent three days with group in Cherokee, Asheville and the High Country. o Post-Travel South FAM (1) – Group of 16 tour operators and travel writers spent three days touring Charlotte, Cabarrus County and Rock Hill, SC. o Post-Travel South FAM (2) – Group of 14 tour operators and travel writers spent three days touring Shelby, Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway. ADVERTISING Print Print advertising garnered more than 23,479,491 million impressions for the Division, with placements in more than 20 different publications. Top-performing publications 12 included Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, New York Times Magazine and O, The Oprah Magazine. Interactive A growing interactive plan incorporated search, CPM and CPC initiatives designed to drive traffic to VisitNC.com. Strongest-performing traffic drivers include Yahoo! Messenger, TripAdvisor, and weather.com. Custom eBlasts using subscriber lists from media outlets like Budget Travel, Sherman’s Travel and Family Fun support monthly sweepstakes. Digital As the core audience’s behaviors have shifted more toward research and booking online, the Division’s digital plan has become more focused. Display advertising drove traffic to VisitNC.com with the ultimate goal of achieving user activity: generating downstream traffic to partner sites, requesting a travel guide, opting in to an email subscription, participating in a sweepstakes, downloading a virtual brochure and downloading itineraries. Seasonal display media buys in Fall 2011 promoted the North Carolina brand on publishers and networks including TripAdvisor, Travel + Leisure, Casale Media, Adara Media, Ad.com / AOL, Interclick, and Weather.com. Buys included rich media as well as standard Flash creative to attract users by showcasing the unique experiences to be found in North Carolina. The digital plan also included paid search. Cooperative Programs The Division negotiated favorable rates with leading travel, lifestyle and special interest publications to provide partners with cost-effective opportunities to broaden the reach of their own advertising efforts. Thirty partners were showcased in magazine insertions in: • Better Homes and Gardens • Family Circle • Food & Wine / Travel + Leisure • Good Housekeeping • The New York Times Sunday Magazine • O, The Oprah Magazine • Southern Living • Garden & Gun • Outside Magazine • Civil War Traveler Golf Marketing With more than 550 golf courses statewide, North Carolina is a leading destination for golf travel. The microsite Golf.VisitNC.com was merged into VisitNC.com as a featured journey to provide golf enthusiasts the full advantage of the complementary travel planning content on the main site. Partnerships with the Brunswick Islands, Currituck Outer Banks, the Pinehurst/Southern Pines/Aberdeen Area CVB and Pinehurst Resort 13 added greatly to the program’s overall reach and impact. The 2011 campaign emphasized interactive media including The Golf Channel family of websites and public relations. The subscriber base for the monthly golf eNewsletter grew to 19,985, and six golf-related sweepstakes generated a total of 65,321 entries. In-state Marketing Initiatives While out-of-state visitors tend to stay longer and spend more when visiting the state, North Carolinians are also a point of focus within the Division’s program. Residents typically comprise approximately one-third of annual visitation, and partnerships with the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, the North Carolina Press Foundation and UNC-TV remain key to the Division’s ability to cost-effectively reach more than nine million prospective travelers in the state’s own backyard. North Carolina Association of Broadcasters • Member television stations aired 4,167 Division spots representing a value of $400,108. • Member radio stations aired 33,890 spots representing a value of $1,462,358. North Carolina Press Foundation • One hundred twelve papers published 890 ads representing a value of $670,468.31. UNC-TV UNC-TV’s award-winning team produced 52 weekly episodes of its popular show North Carolina Weekend during the past year. Each episode was broadcast statewide three times weekly with a potential audience of more than 10.6 million citizens of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and income levels in North Carolina and portions of Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. The average rating for North Carolina Weekend in the Triangle area is 0.8 or 0.6 of a ratings point above the PBS prime time average rating of 1.3. The series featured more than 260 destinations, attractions and events across the state. Each of these valued in-state media partners also provided additional exposure online for the state’s messaging and VisitNC.com. PUBLIC RELATIONS • In 2011, the Division hosted visits from nearly 50 journalists from around the globe and assisted hundreds of travel writers and reporters on stories involving travel to North Carolina. • This work led to hundreds of articles, blog posts and broadcasts on North Carolina, reaching an audience of more than 500 million people. • The Division’s fall PR campaign, which included fall color, fall fishing and a broad array of events and activities, generated coverage for North Carolina by creating pitch videos of adventure spokespersons in all three regions of the state. The 14 videos featured zip-lining, stand-up paddleboarding and a wild horse safari as examples of fall adventures. • Hosted pirate-themed group media tours of the coast for both Canadian and U.K. travel writers. The group visited Wilmington, the Crystal Coast and the Outer Banks. • Led a media mission to the U.K. including several partners from across the state. • Continually worked with state agencies and tourism partners during Hurricane Irene in order to minimize its impact on travel. More Highlights New York Media Mission The Division’s PR team led a successful media mission to New York City January 24-25. The Division teamed with 20 partners from across the state to host 60 members of the media at an evening reception showcasing the best of North Carolina for 2011. In addition, Division staff and tourism partners participated in desk-side visits at select publications. Throughout the mission, staff and partners met with key travel and lifestyle producers, writers and editors, and shared what’s new in North Carolina. The event marked the Division’s fourth annual NY mission. Charlotte Media Mission Assistant Sec. Lynn Minges and the Division’s PR team hosted a successful media event at Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte on April 29. The Division teamed with several partners from across the state to host more than 30 media members at an evening reception showcasing the best of North Carolina for 2011. The mission included in-state media from Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston-Salem and out-of-state media from Greenville, Spartanburg and Birmingham. At the event, the Division and partners met with key travel and lifestyle producers, writers and editors, and also shared what’s new in North Carolina. Birmingham Media Mission The Division hosted a dinner and presentation in December for editorial staff at Birmingham-based Southern Progress publications, which includes Southern Living, Coastal Living and Cooking Light magazines. Attendees included 11 top editors covering topics such as travel, food, gardening, health and lifestyle. Assistant Sec. Lynn Minges, Director of Tourism Marketing Wit Tuttell, and Public Relations Manager Margo Metzger informed the editors of the latest news across North Carolina. The group discussed the publications’ forthcoming digital media platforms, content changes and opportunities for editorial coverage statewide. In addition, Minges and Tuttell met with Southern Living’s new publisher to discuss marketing and advertising strategies and opportunities. U.K. Coastal Media Tour The Division teamed with tourism offices representing New Hanover, Carteret, Dare and Currituck counties to host a group of five British travel writers on a press familiarization trip in October. The trip focused on the Hollywood of the East, pirate treasures and pristine coastal scenery. It included a tour of EUE Screen Gems Studios with visits to the filming locations for Dawson’s Creek and Blue Velvet. The group also visited the Crystal Coast for a chance to see treasures raised from Blackbeard’s ship and to climb Cape Lookout. The trip culminated in the Outer Banks where the group learned about the history of flight, participated in a hang-gliding lesson and went on a wild horse safari. 15 Writers from the group represented many of the largest and most important publications in the U.K., including The Daily Star, The Daily Mirror, The Mail Online, Manchester Evening News and National Geographic Kids. Collectively these publications and websites have a circulation of more than 100 million. U.K. Media Mission The Division continued its international PR efforts in July with a media mission to London and Dublin led by Public Relations Manager Margo Metzger. Several industry partners also attended the mission including representatives from the Cabarrus County CVB, Visit Charlotte, Asheville CVB, Durham CVB and Grandfather Mountain. The group met with 31 national and regional media outlets, pitching story ideas and news about new attractions, events and more. Blackbeard Media Tour The Division partnered with tourism offices representing Washington, Carteret, Hyde and Dare counties to host a group of four Canadian and U.S. travel writers on a press familiarization trip in June. The group met with historians and visited many sites associated with North Carolina’s real pirate heritage, including the new Blackbeard exhibit at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort as well as the site of Blackbeard’s demise on Ocracoke. INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS Traffic to VisitNC.com from around the world continues to increase. www.uk.visitnc.com & www.de.visitnc.com 2010 U.K. Germany January 3,207 2,409 February 2,281 2,310 March 2,499 2,286 April 2,458 1,948 May 2,359 2,121 June 1,546 1,446 July 2,105 1,886 August 2,128 2,181 September 2,177 1,826 October 2,131 1,901 November 1,861 1,413 December 1,354 1,406 TOTAL 26,106 23,133 2011 U.K. Germany January 2,290 2,282 February 2,242 1,794 March 2,097 1,618 April 1,830 1,282 May 1,021 815 June 528 574 16 July 1,147 877 August 1,264 1,465 September 1,458 1,040 October 894 890 November 1,291 868 December 1,094 911 TOTAL 17,156 14,416 CANADA Canada provides North Carolina’s highest number of international visitors. Ease of access via highways and direct air service contributed to growth in the market. • In the first three quarters of 2011, overnight visitation from Canada was 350,500, up 14.5 percent from the same time period in 2010. More than 60 percent of overnight visitors came from the province of Ontario and 25% came from Quebec. • Canadian visitors spent $105 million during the first three quarters of 2011, an increase of 27 percent from 2010. • Eighty-seven percent of Canadian visitors come for vacations/leisure or to visit family and friends • The average length of stay per visitor party is 3.7 nights. Canadian Sales & Marketing Accomplishments Trade results: The Division developed a cooperative marketing plan with Total Vacations that features Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh and the Outer Banks. Exhibited at the following trade shows: - OMCA, held November 6-9 in Windsor, Ontario - U.S. Travel’s International Pow Wow, held May 22-24 in San Francisco Cooperative Marketing & Advertising Opportunities • ATI/CAA – A new marketing agreement was formed in 2011 with ATI/CAA o CAA/Travel Agent FAM hosted in North Carolina § As part of our agreement, ATI was to organize a CAA FAM. Due to timing, ATI was unable to secure more than two agents, therefore opening the FAM up to other travel agents to create a Canadian Travel Agent FAM held in October 2011 to highlight areas off of the highway. Educating agents with tools and providing them firsthand experiences will allow them to recommend and encourage North Carolina to their clients. • Total Vacations – With the huge success of the first partnership in 2010 (before the official program launched and co-op marketing, etc.), 89 passengers booked 17 to NC with approximately 228 requests. More than 2,000 requests for the destination in this period of time. o 2011 partnership from Jan 2011- Nov 2011 resulted in 1,194 passengers booked with over 3,000 requests. o Continuation of participation with Total Vacations includes: § Inclusion in main brochure with a two-page spread § 12 exclusive eBlasts sent to more than 18,000 agents § 12 postings on Open Jaw § Two monthly promotions with incentives to book NC § Participation at five Ontario product launches • Consumer E-Newsletters – Canadian office works with LGA to offer the monthly sweepstakes to our Canadian database. Consumer Promotions Promotion – Twinings Tea “Trip for Two to Charlotte, North Carolina” • Canadian office negotiated a promotion with Twinings Tea and Zoomer magazine that ran from March 15 thru April 30, 2011 to target the snowbird market. Online contest was seen on 50plus.com, 50 Plus newsletters, Zoomer magazine newsletters and eBlasts. • The Zoomer Media campaign received $81,698.52 in media value. • We received 14,000 consumer contest entries. Promotion – Twinings Tea “Ultimate Road Trip for Four” • Canadian office negotiated a promotion with Twinings Tea and Zoomer magazine that ran from Oct. 3 – Dec. 31, 2011 to target the family holiday market. Online contest was seen on 50plus.com, 50 Plus newsletters, Zoomer magazine newsletters and eBlasts. • The Zoomer Media campaign received $99,000 in media value. • We received 7,000 consumer contest entries. CHUM-FM online – Father’s Day Adventure to North Carolina • Canadian office set up an online promotion for a Father’s Day adventure on the biggest Top 40 radio station in the Toronto area, CHUM-FM. The contest ran for two weeks, ending June 15. The adventure was three nights and four days in Raleigh, NC and included hotel, car rental, a Hurricanes hockey game and other area attractions. • The contest promoted during peak drive times on air. Sales Mission • The sales mission was held in two cities (Toronto and Montreal) in February. • Inviting industry partners to the event allowed for them to participate in training during the day and allowed them to meet one-on-one with operators to discuss product and build relationships. • Both events were a success and were joined at the reception by Canadian media, which allowed for additional coverage to the state. • The event was themed around BBQ and Southern hospitality. 18 • Between Toronto and Ontario, there were 28 trade attendees. Canadian Public Relations Results Media Results: • Twelve journalists visited the state • Media coverage: circulation of 54 million, resulting in value of $855,564 • Attended TMAC and Discover America Day. Total combined appointments 47. Media Mission – combined with our Trade mission. Hosted 57 media attendees at functions in Toronto and Montreal with CVB partners. OVERSEAS VISITORS In 2011, North Carolina attracted more than 335,000 overseas visitors to rank 18th in the nation, according to a report released by the International Trade Administration and Office of Travel and Tourism Industries in the U.S. Department of Commerce. • North Carolina was the fifth most-popular Southeastern state in the analysis, which uses in-flight surveys given to international passengers flying into the United States (excluding Canada and Mexico) to determine the destinations of the visitors. Overseas(1) Visitors To Select U.S. States and Territories: 2010-2011 2011 Rank Destination (State/Territory) 2010 Market Share 2010 Visitation (000) 2011 Market Share 2011 Visitation (000) Volume Change (%) 1 New York 32.8% 8,647 34.1% 9,508 10% 2 California 21.3% 5,615 22.0% 6,134 9% 3 Florida 22.1% 5,826 20.4% 5,688 -2% 4 Nevada 9.5% 2,504 10.3% 2,872 15% 5 Hawaiian Islands 8.1% 2,135 8.2% 2,286 7% 6 Massachusetts 4.9% 1,292 5.1% 1,422 10% 7 Texas 3.9% 1,028 4.6% 1,283 25% 8 Illinois 4.5% 1,186 4.5% 1,255 6% 9 Guam 5.0% 1,318 4.4% 1,227 -7% 10 New Jersey 3.7% 975 3.5% 976 0% 11 Pennsylvania 3.5% 923 3.3% 920 0% 12 Arizona 2.9% 765 3.1% 864 13% 13 Georgia 3.1% 817 2.4% 669 -18% 14 Washington 1.9% 501 1.8% 502 0% 14 Utah 1.8% 475 1.8% 502 6% 16 Colorado 1.3% 343 1.6% 446 30% 17 Virginia 1.4% 369 1.3% 362 -2% 19 18 North Carolina 1.3% 343 1.2% 335 -2% ** Estimates not shown due to sample size of fewer than 400. n.a. Estimate not available. Overseas excludes Canada and Mexico. Only destinations having a sample size of 400 or more are displayed. For more information concerning this statistical policy, please contact the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. This table shows only a portion of the 35 travel characteristics data reported on international arrivals to the United States. Additional information may be obtained for a fee. To learn more, please visit: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/ifs/index.html. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. Release Date: May 2012 U.K. and Ireland Sales & Marketing Accomplishments Goodwood Promotion North Carolina Division of Tourism & Film in partnership with Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011 executed an integrated consumer marketing campaign seeking to evoke interest in North Carolina as a destination, introduce it as the home of NASCAR and promote the Goodwood Festival of Speed event held in July 2011. NASCAR race teams were also present during the event, where they had a dedicated stand with additional promotional collateral available for the festival visitors. The campaign included a media partnership with Lonely Planet, as well as other print, online and DM activities. The campaign was also promoted via social media channels such as competition seeding and press releases. • Total Reach: 3,499,877 o Print Reach: 300,000 o PoS Reach: 2,000 o Online Reach: 2,143,000 o DM Reach: 1,054,877 • Total Opt-in Database: 13,231 o Landing page: 6,547 o FOC promotion placement: 6,684 • Total Campaign Value: £47,950 (+/- $74,000) Motorsports Ezine To promote the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the annual e-zine was themed around motorsport and the connection Goodwood had with North Carolina. Themes such as motorsports, palatial homes, art, golf and aviation were all used to promote North Carolina through the e-zine. Banners were placed on travel-connected websites to drive traffic to the e-zine as well as a competition of more than 13,000 entrants received. 20 • Total visits: 13,342 • Page Views: 26,338 o 0-10 minutes: 67% o 11-20 minutes: 8% o 20+ minutes: 25% Online Tactical Campaign An online tactical campaign was launched to promote North Carolina as a destination for autumn travel in association with key travel partners. A promotional e-mail was sent to more than one million consumers, and banners were placed on Trip Advisor and Travelpromos. The total reach of the campaign achieved a total of more than five million impressions, driving consumers to tour operators who sell North Carolina. The tour operators used were Bon-Voyage and America As You Like It. • Total Reach: 5,490,486 o DM: 210,000 o Online Activity: 5,280,486 • Planned Reach: 3,785,000 o DM: 980,000 o Online Activity: 2,805,000 • Outstanding Activity: 770,000 o DM Broadcast: 770,000 Product Development Through sales and marketing activity, the U.K. office has assisted in developing new North Carolina travel programs with British Airways, Trailfinders and Timeless Travel in addition to extending existing hotel portfolios of existing North Carolina travel providers. FAM Trips Piedmont FAM The 2011 U.K. FAM was held in the Charlotte and Cabarrus county area. FAM participants included Complete North America, Lastminute.com, Kenwood Travel and Travelbag. All four companies have increased their North Carolina portfolio and are actively selling the state. Sales Mission (June 2010) The U.K. sales mission ran June 13 – 17, visiting London and Leeds. Desk visits were made to key tour operators providing training and itinerary planning assistance. A Trade & Media dinner for 30 key U.K. contacts was also a great success. The mission was tied into the Goodwood promotion where a North Carolina stand was present to over 175,000 show visitors. U.K. Public Relations Results Media visits • Across IMVs and group press trips – total of six media visited across the year: One individual media visit • Five media from group press trips 21 Coverage Series of articles included on popular U.K. websites – timesonline.co.uk and guardian.co.uk – reaching a massive audience of 169,742,167 valued at $2,886,913.12 German-Speaking Europe Sales & Marketing Accomplishments The Hunger Games Promotion with FTI & Studiocanal Together with our Partners, we have set up a Promotion to promote the movie and the state. We have produced 500 window posters, 52,000 flyers to promote this in 500 FTI travel agencies and consumer shows in Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. In addition, we have set up a raffle on our German webpage and promoted this through FTI B2B and B2C newsletter, NC Facebook page, and the official German Facebook page from The Hunger Games. WTS participated in the German premiere of the movie in Berlin. In Numbers: • 500 FTI travel agencies • 500 window posters • 52,000 flyers • 10,000 contacts FTI B2B newsletter • 165,000 contacts FTI B2C newsletter • 6,534 contacts WTS newsletter • 55 contacts WTS Trade newsletter • 199 NC Facebook users • 4.500 FTI Facebook Users • 150,000 Die Tribute von Panem Facebook users • 100 travel agents invited by FTI for movie airing at the Mathaeser cinema in Munich (March 25, 2012) • 40 trade partners throughout Germany received two free cinema tickets • 1,463 raffle participants • Fifteen winners with prizes ranging from NC trip, cinema tickets, books and official merchandise E-newsletter The North Carolina e-newsletter was sent out four times (April, June, September and November) to approximately 9,000 registered users. Sales Mission German Sales Mission, November 13-19, to Frankfurt, Hamburg and Zurich. Along with partners from Visit Charlotte, we met with travel trade and did sales training with eight tour operators and media. Attended Knecht Reisen 50th anniversary event that included training 65 travel agents and seeing 3,000 consumers in the Swiss market. Trade & Consumer Shows 22 • VUSA Consumer Show Stuttgart – January 2011 • VUSA Consumer Show Hamburg – February 2011 • VUSA Consumer Show Munich – February 2011 • VUSA Seminar Linz – February 2010 • VUSA Seminar Zurich – February 2010 • VUSA Travel Agent event in Neuss – October 2011 • VUSA AER Event in Berlin – October 2011 • VUSA Consumer Show Leipzig – November 2011 • VUSA Media Event Hamburg & Munich – November 2011 Tour Operator Co-ops Joint marketing was done with several tour operators throughout the year including in Germany, FTI and Meier’s Weltreisen; in Austria, Amerikareisen; and in Switzerland, Knecht Reisen. These marketing co-ops were directed to both travel agents and direct to consumers. German Public Relations Results • Hosted eight individual journalists on visits to North Carolina • Distribution of 12 press releases to 1,200 media outlets • Total coverage: circulation of seven billion valued at $3 million Other International News • Travel South Mission to Italy – October 2011 o Exhibited at TTG Incontri in the USA Pavillion and met with more than 40 operators and media in Milan and Rome • New non-stop flights from US Airway’s Charlotte hub: o Seasonal flight service to Dublin and Madrid beginning May • The Division hosted a double North Carolina booth at the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow in San Francisco, CA, May 22-25. Industry partners from Charlotte, the Outer Banks, Asheville and Biltmore joined the state with more than 40 trade and media appointments. • Receptive Sales Mission with Travel South USA – Meeting with key receptive tour operators to include North Carolina locations in their international travel packages. These receptive tour operators are an integral part of the international buying process as they organize the lodging and other activities that make up the “package” trips that are purchased by most international visitors. Orlando is one of the main sites for receptive tour operator offices representing the eastern part of the U.S. This is the first time the Division has met with representatives in the Orlando market. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT • The Tourism Development Manager continued to be involved in various initiatives to preserve and promote the various genres of traditional and heritage music across the state. Small towns are an important part of the North Carolina 23 landscape. Actively involved in ongoing programming either independently or in conjunction with partners such as the NC Rural Center, Commerce’s Division of Community Assistance, Dept. of Cultural Resources and Handmade in America to foster revitalization that will make the communities more attractive to residents and visitors. • The Division set goals for the Tourism Development Program and improved the delivery of information for the program on the Department of Commerce website. The effort is designed to make local communities more aware of resources within the Division as well as other opportunities for product development. • TDM made presentations on Cultural Heritage Tourism Development and ways to work with the Division to partners throughout NC. • TDM represented the Division during the African American Heritage Commission, planning a meeting at NC Central University. • Continue to work with TDAs and CVBs to assist with strategic planning for tourism development in their areas, research potential resources and partnership opportunities. Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC) • Developed the Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC) that brings the Division’s program managers to local communities to discuss the nuts and bolts of working with the Division. • TRAC sessions to date: 1. New Bern – over 40 tourism businesses and partners attended 2. Lexington – over 25 tourism businesses partners attended 3. Smithfield – over 35 tourism businesses partners attended 4. Bryson City – over 40 tourism businesses partners attended 5. Morganton – over 60 tourism businesses partners attended North Carolina Civil War Trails: Civil War 150th The Division of Tourism, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, utilized funding from a $1.1 million federal transportation enhancements grant to develop, design, fabricate and install interpretive markers at campaign sites and corridors of the Civil War. • The trail expanded to 232 sites in 78 counties at the end of 2011, with a goal to install more in the future. • Visitors downloaded more than 12,000 Civil War Trails maps from www.visitnc.com and www.civilwartraveler.com. • Planning continued on marketing activities surrounding the 150th Commemoration of the Civil War (2011-2015), using the marketing universals of the Civil War Trails program. • Worked with Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and other 12 state representatives to develop a Civil War Map Guide titled “Civil War from the Home Front.” The guide was distributed in the 2011 spring issue of American Heritage Magazine and the Division distributed 26,000 overruns through its Welcome Centers. • Worked with the NC Civil War Tourism Council and informed communities, programs and sites of the opportunities related to the council such as “Watch Fire” annual publication and grants program. 24 Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) Created by congressional legislation, the BRNHA is supported through a partnership with the Division to assist in coordinating planning for the 25 counties in the designated region. • TDM continued to assist in the implementation of the county initiatives outlined in each county’s heritage plan. • TDM continued to take an active role in assisting the BRNHA in developing, facilitating and guiding communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway for themes such as agriculture, arts and culture, traditional music, history/heritage and natural resources. Community Partnerships • The TDM worked closely with communities participating in the NC STEP Program through the NC Rural Center and NC Main Street Program. Represented the Division during the NC Main Street Annual Conference in Clayton, NC. • TDM continued to be actively engaged in the development of outdoor recreational/ecotourism/agritourism opportunities in the regions across the state. Farms, waterways, hiking and biking trails, greenways and open spaces are important features in a community that improve and promote quality of life and link people with their natural and cultural heritage. • TDM continued to research resources for communities; work with communities interested in TDA development, marketing initiatives, heritage trails development; product development plans. National Heritage Area Designation • The TDM continued work with National Park Service on the feasibility study of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution National Heritage Corridor proposal. • TDM worked with Northeastern, Eastern and Southeastern Economic Development Regions on a proposal to designate the state’s 40 eastern-most counties as a National Heritage Area. Heritage Trails Development • TDM assisted in developing partners for “Plank Road” project within the counties of Cumberland, Harnett and Moore to focus on African American Culture & Heritage. • TDM assisted in the revamping of the Blue Ridge Music Trail, partnering with DCR and other communities in the region. • TDM worked with DCR in the development of the African American Music Trail in the counties of Onslow, Lenoir, Craven, Pitt, Edgecombe, Wilson, Wayne and Greene. • TDM worked with Textile Heritage Corridor group to preserve and promote Textile Mill Heritage areas. • TDM worked with Daniel Boone Heritage Trail Committee. • TDM worked with African American Heritage Commission in the development of “Freedom Roads” heritage trail. 25 Certified Retirement Community Program The NC Dept. of Commerce operates a community development program for communities that are positioning for retiree attraction as an economic and community development strategy. The NC General Assembly, during the 2008 short session, recognized the inherent panoply of quality living that the state offers and established the NC Certified Retirement Community Program (S.B. 1627) as a vehicle to designate communities that offer this unprecedented quality of living that is sought by the mature community. To gain certification, a local government must submit an application for consideration. Initial evaluation of the community and technical assistance is provided by Commerce’s Community Development Division. The designation has a five-year life, after which communities will need to consider recertification at the sunset of the five-year period. Once a community has completed the certification process, the Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development will help market and promote the community. • TDA is working with the Community Development office to administer and promote communities into the program. • TDA has made presentation to local commissions and city managers about the program and benefits. • TDA is promoting certified communities and areas of NC during the AARP “Life@50+” Convention. • Certified communities include: 1. Lumberton (pilot program) 2. Asheboro (2012) INDUSTRY RELATIONS Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Asheville (March 13-15) Governor Bev Perdue revealed the 2010 tourism economic impact numbers to more than 500 attendees at the Winner’s Circle Luncheon at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. In addition to visitor spending, Perdue announced North Carolina, which maintained its ranking as the sixth most-visited state in the nation, gained nearly 2,000 tourism jobs in 2010 while state tax revenues from visitor spending increased 12.6 percent and have increased 16.2 percent since 2007. Also, visitor spending directly generated a total of more than $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenues. State tax revenue totaled more than $947 million and local tax revenues were $546 million as a direct result of visitor spending. The Division’s annual conference featured dynamic, educational programming and valuable networking opportunities and drew a near-record crowd focused on the theme of finding the “Rhythm of Success.” Tourism Day in Raleigh (May 10) Governor Perdue proclaimed May 10 as North Carolina Tourism Day. A full day of events was scheduled in Raleigh to celebrate North Carolina’s tourism industry. Tourism organizations from around the state had informational booths in the NC Legislative Building coordinated by the NC Travel Industry Association, giving partners an opportunity for lawmakers to meet tourism industry officials and learn about the positive 26 impact of the industry. In addition, the travel industry had the chance to showcase their area at a private reception for legislators at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers hosted their own events during National Tourism Week (May 7-15) to thank travelers to the state. Regional Mid-Year Marketing Updates (September 2011) The Division went on the road this year for its Mid-Year Marketing Update, offering several forums to make it easier for industry partners to participate and contribute to the Division’s planning efforts. Events were held in all three regions of the state including Asheville, Nags Head, Atlantic Beach and Concord throughout the month of September. MYMU brought together nearly 400 leaders from all sectors of North Carolina’s travel industry to highlight recent performance trends, provide updates on the Division’s current marketing programs and co-op initiatives and gain insight from partners to help fuel the Division’s strategic planning for FY 2012-13. The Division also shared research on the most recent visitor profiles and trends within each region of the state. WINE Wine & Grape Council • Promoted 108 North Carolina wineries in 49 counties across the state in 2011. The number of wineries has doubled since 2005 and grown five-fold in the last decade. • The North Carolina wine and grape industry generates an economic impact of more than $1.28 billion, and produces more than $51 million in state and local tax revenue. • The wine industry supports nearly 7,600 jobs for North Carolinians. • Wineries attract more than 1.26 million tourists a year across the state, and generate $156 million in visitor spending. • North Carolina ranks 10th in the nation for wine and grape production. • New legislation in July 2011 created two wine advisory committees: Muscadine Advisory Committee and Vinifera Advisory Committee. The wine program is focused on promoting wine tourism in North Carolina and driving visitation to the state’s wineries. • North Carolina wineries and wines were promoted locally, nationally and internationally through public relations and advertising. • Participated in the Division’s media missions throughout the year to showcase North Carolina wines for the media in New York, Washington, D.C., etc. • Redesigned and produced the new NC Winery Guide, a 56-page booklet featuring maps, breakouts on grape varieties, history, amenities and photos. There were 200,000 copies produced and distributed to travelers, tourism authorities and welcome centers across the state, nationally and internationally. • Developed and launched a mobile website for visitncwine.com that includes listings, geolocation for proximity searches, search capability for wineries and winery events and filters for the state's three American Viticultural Areas and winery amenities. • Upgraded the N.C. wine consumer website, visitncwine.com, with additional content and improved site navigation and mapping. 27 • Redesigned the N.C. wine industry site, nccommerce.com/wine, with improved content, resources, navigation and layout consistent with Department of Commerce sites redesign. • Promoted N.C. wineries and visitncwine.com with outdoor billboards on key corridor highways throughout the state. • Participated in N.C. Winegrowers Association and N.C. Muscadine Grape Association annual conferences and meetings. • Partnered with University of North Carolina Greensboro to begin conducting a wine tourism study to better understand wine tourists’ motivations and demographics for targeting and improving marketing strategies. • Gov. Perdue declared September 2011 as Wine and Grape Appreciation Month in North Carolina. • Partnered with North Carolina State Fair to host 2011 N.C. State Fair Wine Competition in October. Nearly 450 commercial wines and 100 amateur wines were entered in the competition. Top award winners were displayed and winery guides were distributed during the N.C. State Fair. FILM • The state Film Office and regional film commissions promoted filmmaking in North Carolina at the annual Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Locations tradeshow and the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Produced By Conference at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. • The NCFO participated at the Sundance Film Festival and promoted NC film with both a media lounge that we teamed with celebs.com and reception with directors and producers. • The NCFO sponsored the filmmaker lounge at SXSW Film Festival and promoted NC film. • 2011 Production Highlights o 536 active projects o 45 projects shot in North Carolina o $241,851,800 direct spend by productions o 2,845 production days o 31,050 jobs created § 4,353 crew § 745 talent § 25,952 extras • 50 productions including features, television, commercials, and single episodes filmed in North Carolina in calendar year 2010; collectively these productions spent approximately $75 million in North Carolina. • Highlights of film projects during 2011include: o One Tree Hill season 9 and series finale – Wilmington Region o The Hunger Games – Western & Charlotte Regions o Journey 2: Mysterious Island – Wilmington Region o The Shunning - Piedmont Triad Region o Homeland – Charlotte Region o Eastbound & Down season 3 – Wilmington Region SPORTS 28 • Continued to enhance sportsnc.com website, promoting North Carolina's appeal as an attractive destination for sporting events of all kinds and providing sports-event rights holders and planners an easy connection to NCSA's 36-member destinations and organizations. • Coordinated and led a cooperative effort with 33 sports sales directors and managers from North Carolina communities to market the state as a premier sporting event destination at Travel, Events and Management in Sports (TEAMS) Annual Conference. • Partnered with North Carolina Amateur Sports to coordinate statewide sports-related events, including: Cycle North Carolina Mountains to the Coast Fall Ride, Cycle North Carolina Spring Weekend Ride, State Games of North Carolina and the North Carolina Senior Games. • Provided contact information for sports organizations, motorsports teams and professional sports teams in North Carolina. • Attended quarterly North Carolina Sports Association meetings. CONTACTS North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development 301 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 919-733-4171 2011 North Carolina Travel & Tourism Board Josh Bass Currituck Chamber of Commerce 103 Egret Cove Moyock, NC 27958 Phone: (252) 453-9497 Email: jbbass05@gmail.com Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Sabrina Bengel City of New Bern 329A Middle Street New Bern, NC 28560 Phone: (252) 636-5898 Email: sabrinabengel@yahoo.com Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Rolf Blizzard Turnpike Properties 615 Hillsborough Street, Suite 201 Raleigh, NC 27603 Phone: (919) 833-8380 Fax: (919) 833-8379 Email: rblizzard1@me.com Appointed by: NC Travel & Tourism Coalition Term Ends: Ex Officio Chris Cavanaugh Magellan Strategy Group 131 Windover Drive Asheville, NC 28803 Phone: (828) 651-9320 Fax: (828) 651-8921 Email: ccavanaugh@magellanstrategy.com Appointed by: Governor Term Ends: Governor's Term Robert "Randy" Cobb Abercrombie Oil Co., Inc. 5600 Forest Manor Drive Greensboro, NC 27410 Phone: (336) 378-0400 x243 Fax: (336) 274-5530 Email: rrcobb@abercrombieoil.com Appointed by: NC Petroleum Marketers Assn. Term Ends: 12/31/2011 29 Secretary J. Keith Crisco NC Department of Commerce 301 N. Wilmington Street Raleigh, NC 27601 Phone: (919) 733-3449 Fax: (919) 733-8356 Email: kcrisco@nccommerce.com Appointed by: NC Dept. of Commerce Term Ends: Ex Officio (Non-Voting) Teresa Damiano Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority PO Box 80001 RDU Airport, NC 27623 Phone: (919) 840-7708 Fax: (919) 840-0175 Email: teresa.damiano@rdu.com Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 S. Lewis Ebert NC Chamber 701 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 400 Raleigh, NC 27607 Phone: (919) 836-1410 Fax: (919) 836-1425 Email: lebert@ncchamber.net Appointed by: NC Chamber Term Ends: Ex Officio Denny Edwards Greater Raleigh CVB 421 Fayetteville Street Mall Suite 1505 Raleigh, NC 27601 Phone: (919) 645-2656 Fax: (919) 831-2887 Email: dedwards@visitraleigh.com Appointed by: DMANC Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Rep. Phillip Haire North Carolina House of Representatives 609 Legislative Office Building Raleigh, NC 27603 Phone: (919) 715-3005 Email: Philliph@ncleg.net Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Rep. Susi Hamilton North Carolina House of Representatives 206 Nun Street Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: (919) 733-5754 Email: Susi.Hamilton@ncleg.net Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Sen. Ralph Hise North Carolina Senate 1026 Legislative Building Raleigh, NC 27601 Phone: (919) 733-3460 Email: Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Kimberly "Kim" Hufham Wilmington & Beaches CVB 505 Nutt Street Unit A Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: (910) 332-8746 Fax: (910) 341-4029 Email: khufham@wilmingtonandbeaches.com Appointed by: NCTIA Term Ends: Ex Officio Chris Humphrey Allstate Insurance / ERA Humphrey Realty Group 900 W Vernon Ave Kinston, NC 28501 Phone: (252) 526-0400 ext 31 Email: allstateman@gmail.com Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Vimal Kolappa East Coast Hospitality, LLC 719 West 15th St, Suite 11 Washington, NC 27889 Phone: (252) 974-0439 Fax: (252) 974-1164 Email: vkolappa@yahoo.com Appointed by: Governor Term Ends: Governor's Term 30 John Randal "Randy" Kolls Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club 3001 Cameron Blvd. Durham, NC 27705 Phone: (919) 490-0999 Fax: (919) 490-6500 Email: rkolls@wdigc.com Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Donna Carpenter Cabarrus CVB 10099 Weddington Rd., Suite 102 Concord, NC 28027 Phone: (704) 782-4340 Fax: (704) 782-4333 Email: Donna@visitcabarrus.com Appointed by: DMANC Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Lynn Minges NC Department of Commerce 4324 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 Phone: (919) 733-4171 Fax: (919) 733-8582 Email: lminges@nccommerce.com Appointed by: NC Dept. of Commerce Term Ends: Ex Officio (Non-Voting) Robert M. O'Halloran East Carolina University Dept of Hospitality Management 152 Rivers Greenville, NC 27858 Phone: (252) 737-1604 Fax: (252) 328-4276 Email: ohalloranr@ecu.edu Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Davin Olsen Gale Force Sports & Entertainment/Carolina Hurricanes 1400 Edwards Mill Rd. Raleigh, NC 27607 Phone: (919) 861-6173 Fax: (919) 861-5468 Email: daveo@rbccenter.com Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Sen. Jean Preston North Carolina Senate 629 Legislative Office Building Raleigh, NC 27603 Phone: (919) 733-5706 Email: Jean.Preston@ncleg.net Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Harris Prevost Grandfather Mountain PO Box 995 Linville, NC 28646 Phone: (828) 733-2013 Fax: (828) 733-2608 Email: harris@grandfather.com Appointed by: NCTIA Term Ends: 12/31/2011 Joan H. Pulley Carteret County Chamber of Commerce 332 Winding Woods Way Beaufort, NC 28516 Phone: (252) 728-2817 Fax: (252) 728-2817 Email: jhpulley@gmail.com Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 James "Jamie" Reibel Sargasso Travels, Inc., Phideaux Fishing 305 Sir Walter Raleigh St. Manteo, NC 27954 Phone: (252) 473-8051 Fax: (252) 473-2901 Email: phideaux@embarqmail.com Appointed by: NCWU Term Ends: 12/31/2011 Leonard Rigsbee Cap-N-Squid Boatworks 115 Wayland Ct. Gloucester, NC 28528 Phone: (252) 723-3612 Email: lcapnsquid@aol.com Appointed by: NCWU Term Ends: 12/31/2011 31 Tom Ruff The Biltmore Company One North Pack Square Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: (828) 225-6105 Fax: (828) 225-6126 Email: truff@biltmore.com Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2011 Susan Spangler The Greensboro Carousel 111 Kemp Road East Greensboro, NC 27410 Phone: (336) 553-3772 Fax: (336) 553-3701 Email: susangspangler@gmail.com Appointed by: Governor Term Ends: Governor's Term Steve Thanhauser, Chairman The Angus Barn 9401 Glenwood Avenue Raleigh, NC 27617 Phone: (919) 787-3505 Fax: (919) 783-5568 Email: sthanhauser@angusbarn.com Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Mitzi York Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority PO Box 1186 Shallotte, NC 28459 Phone: (910) 755-5517 x1 Fax: (910) 575-5759 Email: myork@ncbrunswick.com Appointed by: DMANC Term Ends: 12/31/2013 2011 NC Film Council Chair: Bob Seligson, Raleigh Mayor William Bell, Durham Timothy M. Bourne, Wilmington Hilarie Burton, Wilmington John Wesley Davis, Winston-Salem Mark de Castrique, Charlotte Terri E. Dollar, Raleigh Eugene W. Ellison, Asheville Craig Fincannon, Wilmington Monty Hagler, High Point Stephen Hill, Kinston Cress Horne, Marshville Vice-Chair: E.A. Tod Thorne, Charlotte NC State Rep. Daniel F. McComas, Wilmington Thom Mount, Durham/Beverly Hills, Calif. James M. O'Brien, III, Raleigh Dale Pollock, Winston-Salem Jason Rosin, Wilmington Zeb Smathers, Canton Herman A. Stone, Charlotte Kelly R. Tenney, Castle Hayne Bill Vassar, Wilmington Rep. William L. Wainwright, Havelock Robert E. Zaytoun, Raleigh 2011 NC Wine Tourism Advisory Committees Muscadine Advisory Committee Bill Hatcher, Raleigh Bob Hinnant, Pine Level Phil Nordan, Chair, Monroe 32 Dan Smith, Vice Chair, Wagram William Yost, Salisbury Vinifera Advisory Committee Ed Cook, Chair, Matthews Jerry Douglas, Asheville Mark Friszolowski, Lexington Buddy Norwood, Dobson Karen Ray, Vice Chair, Mooresville
Object Description
Description
Title | Annual report of the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development |
Other Title | Annual report |
Date | 2011 |
Description | 2011 |
Digital Characteristics-A | 456 KB; 32 p. |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_serial_ncdivisionfilmsportsdevelopment2011.pdf |
Full Text | NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT Date: September 11, 2012 Client: North Carolina Tourism Job number: 000289 Home/Title Page YEAR IN REVIEW INQUIRY FULFILLMENT DOMESTIC TRAVELERS INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS TOURISM DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY RELATIONS WINE FILM SPORTS CONTACTS 2 2011 THE YEAR IN REVIEW North Carolina's tourism industry achieved new milestones in success in 2011, with each of the state's 100 counties reporting increased visitor spending. Domestic visitors to North Carolina spent a record $18.4 billion, and when combined with the growth in international travel to the state, resulted in $19 billion in total visitor expenditures for 2011. This record spending directly supported 196,100 jobs with a payroll of $4.36 billion and generated $1.52 billion in state and local tax revenues for reinvestment in communities all across North Carolina. Statewide partnerships with destinations, attractions, lodging and dining properties and associations statewide remain key to North Carolina's success. Despite a marketing budget ranking 27th out of the 50 states, North Carolina ranked sixth nationally in overnight visitation in 2011. Program Highlights for 2011 The Division launched a new marketing communications campaign in 2011, striving to establish a more emotional connection between travelers and North Carolina. While continuing to showcase the state's renowned scenic beauty and vibrant cities, the "Deeper Connections" message strategy is well suited for sharing more stories about the distinctive places, personalities and flavors that call North Carolina home. The VisitNC.com family of websites attracted 3.87 million user sessions, a 5.48 percent increase over 2010, and provided more than 1.14 million downstream referrals to North Carolina industry partner websites. The Division introduced a new mobile website promoting wine tourism, making it easier for travelers and wine enthusiasts to plan their visits to the more than 100 wineries across the state. The Film Office continued to leverage the state’s 25 percent tax credit for film, television and commercial production in its marketing, and collaborative efforts with partners statewide led to more than 31,000 jobs and $241 million in direct spending during 2011. Among many highlights was the filming of The Hunger Games in the Western and Charlotte regions. The Division’s partnership with the North Carolina Sports Association and NC Amateur Sports continued to pay dividends with the state’s success in attracting sporting events to small and large communities. Tourism development outreach in small communities was strengthened through several initiatives including the ongoing partnership with the NC Department of Transportation and NC Department of Cultural Resources in the popular North Carolina Civil War Trails program, an expanded schedule for the Division’s Tourism Resource Assistance Center program and four regional Mid-Year Marketing Update sessions. The Division continued its collaboration with East Carolina University's Center for Sustainable Tourism and the Office of Economic Development to promote environmental and social responsibility throughout the state's tourism industry, including use of a staff member to help strengthen the state's leadership position in sustainability. 3 Cooperative marketing programs with NC travel industry partners and effective partnerships with in-state media associations resulted in an estimated $6 million in incremental direct investment, in-kind support and brand exposure for North Carolina and VisitNC.com within and outside the state. Please review the balance of this Annual Report for more details on the Division's 2011 program of work and accomplishments. We remain committed to our collaboration with partners statewide to ensure North Carolina's continued growth and success as a preferred travel, film and sports destination and positive economic force for the entire state. 2011 RESULTS Visitor Spending • In 2011, domestic visitors to North Carolina spent a record $18.4 billion in the state, an increase of 8 percent from 2010. • Domestic visitor spending directly supported 187,900 jobs for North Carolina residents, and the tourism industry directly contributed $4.18 billion to the state’s payroll in 2011. • Traveler spending generated $2.8 billion in tax receipts ($1.3 billion in federal taxes, $1.01 billion in state tax revenue and $560.5 million in local tax revenue). Source: U.S. Travel Association 2011 Travel Volume • North Carolina person-trip volume was 37.2 million in 2011. North Carolina ranked No. 7 in total domestic person-trip volume and No. 6 for overnight domestic person-trip volume. Domestic person-trip market share was 3.8 percent (4.2 percent for overnight visitors). 2011 Total State Rankings By Volume 1. California 2. Florida 3. Texas 4. New York 5. Pennsylvania 6. Ohio 7. North Carolina 8. Illinois 9. Michigan 10. Georgia Average Trip Spending • North Carolina overnight visitor parties spent approximately $576 per trip in 2011, up 14.7 percent from 2010. Out-of-state visitors spend significantly more than resident visitors traveling within the state ($681 vs. $387). • U.S. travelers on average spent $685 per trip in 2011. 4 Average Overnight Trip Duration • The average length of stay of North Carolina visitors was 3.5 nights in 2011, up from 3.3 in 2010. Resident visitors spent an average of 2.5 nights, while out-of-state visitors spent 4.0 nights on average, an increase from 3.8 in 2010. • U.S. travelers spent an average of 3.3 nights per trip. NC’s Top Activities for Overnight Visitors NC 37% VA 9% GA 7% SC 6% FL 6% TN 4% PA 4% NY 4% OH 3% NJ 3% MD 2% TX 2% NC’s Top Activities for Overnight Visitors Visiting relatives 36.3% Shopping 21.4% Visiting friends 18.1% Beach 15.7% Rural sightseeing 15.2% Fine dining 13.8% Historic sites/churches 10.0% Urban sightseeing 8.5% State/national park 8.5% Museums 7.5% Wildlife viewing 6.3% Old homes/mansions 5.3% Art galleries 3.9% Hiking/backpacking 3.8% Nightclub/dancing 3.8% Gardens 3.8% Nature travel/ecotouring 3.2% Golf 3.1% Fishing (fresh or saltwater) 2.8% Casino/gaming 2.9% Special events/festivals 2.7% Bird watching 2.3% Camping 2.3% Wine tasting/winery tour 2.2% Biking 2.0% Spa/health club 2.0% Youth/amateur/collegiate sporting events 1.7% Theme park 1.7% 5 Theater/drama 1.5% Zoos 1.5% 2011-2012 BUDGET OVERVIEW For fiscal year 2011-2012, the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development was funded by appropriations from the legislature in the amount of $12.75 million, including approximately $1.8 million for the state's nine Welcome Centers. Media Purchase & Production $4,200,000 Personnel & Administration 2,450,000 Welcome Centers 1,800,000 VisitNC.com Development & Maintenance 1,500,000 International Marketing (Canada, Germany, U.K.) 653,500 Film Office Marketing 100,000 Inquiry Fulfillment 300,000 Public Relations 500,000 Domestic Sales Promotion 350,000 Industry Relations 100,000 Research 200,000 Printing & Production 100,000 Wine Tourism 500,000 Total $12,753,500 Projected State Tourism Office Budgets 2011-2012 According to the U.S. Travel Association of America, North Carolina, with a budget of $10.5 million, ranked 27th in projected state tourism office budgets. 6 INQUIRY FULFILLMENT 1-800 VISIT NC In 2011, the Division of Tourism received 3.6 million inquiries and mailed 137,153 NC Travel Guides to potential visitors. Reader Service 137,153 1-800-VISITNC Calls 23,028 Web Inquiries 3,637,401 7 Total 3,803,582 VISITNC.COM Overview As the state’s official travel website, VisitNC.com hosted 3,873,377 user sessions, a 5.48 percent increase from 2010. VisitNC.com generated a total of 2,965,941 web inquiries in 2011. Key 2011 VisitNC.com Performance Indicators • 221,396 site visitors participating in sweepstakes • 53,304 Travel Guides ordered from website • 145,406 downloads of virtual brochures • 100,180 downloads of itineraries • 111,015 new subscriptions to eNewsletters • 1,176,341 searches performed • 16,569 clicks to view online Travel Guide • 1,140,668 clicks to partner websites Electronic Communications Relationships with visitors and prospective visitors are enhanced and strengthened through a number of electronic opt-in initiatives promoting destinations, attractions, new experiences, upcoming events and special offers that make a trip to North Carolina more attractive. The Events eNewsletter has been particularly successful. Its rapid growth to more than 78,000 subscribers reflects the increasingly important role special events play in sparking leisure travel. Display (Banner) Advertising 93 participating partners 120 display ads 9,779,921 total impressions 54,479 clicks to partner sites 0.61 percent click-through rate Virtual Brochures 79 virtual brochures 65,998 downloads Featured Event Listings 39 participating partners 124 total featured events 213,942 views of featured events 27,456 clicks to partner sites 8 Sweepstakes 14 participating partners/16 sweepstakes 221,396 total entries Most Popular Sweepstakes 1. Carolina Beach in June 2. Smoky Mountain Host in August 3. Wrightsville Beach in March International Complementing VisitNC.com, five custom microsites appeal to prospective travelers in the markets that continue to be top international priorities for the Division. UK.VisitNC.com 17,156 visits 34,739 page views 2.02 average number of page views per visit 1:35 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 22,997 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from U.K. travelers DE.VisitNC.com 14,416 visits 34,841 page views 2.42 average number of page views per visit 2:28 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 8,635 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from German travelers JP.VisitNC.com 8,692 visits 16,901 page views 1.94 average number of page views per visit 1:34 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 6,326 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from Japanese travelers MX.VisitNC.com 22,112 visits 41,004 page views 1.85 average number of page views per visit 1:20 minutes, average visit duration 9 Microsite complemented by 3,103 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from Mexican travelers QC.VisitNC.com 13,333 visits 30,595 page views 2.29 average number of page views per visit 1:52 minutes, average visit duration Microsite complemented by 74,638 additional visits directly to VisitNC.com from Canadian travelers Search Engine Marketing VisitNC.com 9,869,187 total impressions 59,349 total clicks $1.25 average cost-per-click for these leads VisitNCWine.com 185,785 visits in 2011 4.07 average page views per visit 4:39 average time spent on site 97,119 clicks to partner sites in 2011 Media.VisitNC.com 23,165 visits in 2011 2.08 average page views per visit 1:35 average time spent on site SportsNC.com 10,900 visits in 2011 1.51 average page views per visit 0:38 average time spent on site NCFilm.com 103,183 visits in 2011 3.18 average number of page views per visit 2:10 average visit duration DATABASE AND WEB MANAGEMENT WELCOME CENTERS North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers hosted 7,102,513 visitors in 2011. A breakout of the number of visitors by Welcome Center location is below: 10 2011 Welcome Centers – Estimated Visitors I-95 S 1,132,766 I-95 N 1,569,637 I-85 S 631,445 I-85 N 627,160 I-77 S 292,835 I-77 N 965,809 I-40 W 953,262 I-26 W 279,134 I-26 E 650,465 TOTAL 7,102,513 The I-95 North Welcome Center continues to be the most visited, hosting 1,569,637 travelers in 2011. Welcome Centers registered 13,250 visitors from other countries, including 7,732 from Canada. In 2011, Welcome Centers booked 17,593 room nights, representing total revenue of over $1.4 million, with an average rate of $81.86 per room night. PUBLICATIONS The Official 2012 North Carolina Travel Guide was the primary fulfillment piece provided to potential travelers to and within the state. • This 174-page publication, published in December 2011, featured the state’s mountain, piedmont and coastal regions with listings for 831 attractions and 3,939 accommodations. • The cover featured a stunning sunrise at Johnnie Mercer’s Pier in Wrightsville Beach. o 600,000 copies were produced at no cost to the Division or the taxpayers of NC. o 126 partners placed advertisements in the 2012 NC Travel Guide. The Division also launched several new videos for the online version of the Travel Guide. By incorporating rich media, animated digital ads and embedded video features, the digital guide reaches and engages North Carolina’s core customer with a unique online experience. • 29,942 different visitors accessed the online guide for an average of 2,495 per month. • Visitors viewed a total of 530,353 pages, for an average of 44,196 page views per month. • Each visitor spent an average of 11 minutes with the 2011 digital guide, viewing an average of 28 pages per visit. NewsLink • E-mailed weekly to almost 2,300 subscribers, legislators, economic developers and media. 11 • In 2011, NewsLink covered 752 stories within the 52 weekly and three “Special Edition” issues. • NewsLink provided timely information on tourism-related research, statewide and international trends, media leads, updates on conferences and events plus other items of interest to those in the tourism field. There is no subscription charge for this e-newsletter, and it is available to anyone with a valid e-mail address. It is only sent to those who have requested the e-newsletter. DOMESTIC MARKETING American Bus Association (ABA) Marketplace January 2011, Philadelphia, PA One of the premier industry events for the group travel industry, allowing Buyers and Sellers to meet face-to-face in pre-scheduled appointments. In addition to the quality appointments, Marketplace offers professional education seminars and numerous networking opportunities. o Teamed with Visit Charlotte to host a Marketplace Luncheon for all delegates. o Teamed with 37 in-state partners to host 25 tour operators for dinner. o Conducted 29 appointments with tour operators during the week, promoting group travel throughout the state. Travel South Showcase February 2011, Atlanta, GA Showcase is a regional appointment-style marketplace focused on increasing travel to and within the Southern states. Showcase offers the most targeted opportunity for tour operators / wholesalers and travel service providers to meet face to face with Southern travel suppliers. o Teamed with 15 travel industry partners, conducted strategic, business development meetings with more than 275 tour operators from more than 30 states plus Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan. o Briefed domestic and international media and tour operators, focusing on what’s new with the state’s tourism products and on North Carolina’s position as a travel destination market leader. Familiarization Tours o Annual Blue Ridge Parkway FAM Tour – Partnered with Virginia and Tennessee to host a seven-day tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway with 26 AAA and CAA representatives from the United States and Canada. Spent three days with group in Cherokee, Asheville and the High Country. o Post-Travel South FAM (1) – Group of 16 tour operators and travel writers spent three days touring Charlotte, Cabarrus County and Rock Hill, SC. o Post-Travel South FAM (2) – Group of 14 tour operators and travel writers spent three days touring Shelby, Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway. ADVERTISING Print Print advertising garnered more than 23,479,491 million impressions for the Division, with placements in more than 20 different publications. Top-performing publications 12 included Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, New York Times Magazine and O, The Oprah Magazine. Interactive A growing interactive plan incorporated search, CPM and CPC initiatives designed to drive traffic to VisitNC.com. Strongest-performing traffic drivers include Yahoo! Messenger, TripAdvisor, and weather.com. Custom eBlasts using subscriber lists from media outlets like Budget Travel, Sherman’s Travel and Family Fun support monthly sweepstakes. Digital As the core audience’s behaviors have shifted more toward research and booking online, the Division’s digital plan has become more focused. Display advertising drove traffic to VisitNC.com with the ultimate goal of achieving user activity: generating downstream traffic to partner sites, requesting a travel guide, opting in to an email subscription, participating in a sweepstakes, downloading a virtual brochure and downloading itineraries. Seasonal display media buys in Fall 2011 promoted the North Carolina brand on publishers and networks including TripAdvisor, Travel + Leisure, Casale Media, Adara Media, Ad.com / AOL, Interclick, and Weather.com. Buys included rich media as well as standard Flash creative to attract users by showcasing the unique experiences to be found in North Carolina. The digital plan also included paid search. Cooperative Programs The Division negotiated favorable rates with leading travel, lifestyle and special interest publications to provide partners with cost-effective opportunities to broaden the reach of their own advertising efforts. Thirty partners were showcased in magazine insertions in: • Better Homes and Gardens • Family Circle • Food & Wine / Travel + Leisure • Good Housekeeping • The New York Times Sunday Magazine • O, The Oprah Magazine • Southern Living • Garden & Gun • Outside Magazine • Civil War Traveler Golf Marketing With more than 550 golf courses statewide, North Carolina is a leading destination for golf travel. The microsite Golf.VisitNC.com was merged into VisitNC.com as a featured journey to provide golf enthusiasts the full advantage of the complementary travel planning content on the main site. Partnerships with the Brunswick Islands, Currituck Outer Banks, the Pinehurst/Southern Pines/Aberdeen Area CVB and Pinehurst Resort 13 added greatly to the program’s overall reach and impact. The 2011 campaign emphasized interactive media including The Golf Channel family of websites and public relations. The subscriber base for the monthly golf eNewsletter grew to 19,985, and six golf-related sweepstakes generated a total of 65,321 entries. In-state Marketing Initiatives While out-of-state visitors tend to stay longer and spend more when visiting the state, North Carolinians are also a point of focus within the Division’s program. Residents typically comprise approximately one-third of annual visitation, and partnerships with the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, the North Carolina Press Foundation and UNC-TV remain key to the Division’s ability to cost-effectively reach more than nine million prospective travelers in the state’s own backyard. North Carolina Association of Broadcasters • Member television stations aired 4,167 Division spots representing a value of $400,108. • Member radio stations aired 33,890 spots representing a value of $1,462,358. North Carolina Press Foundation • One hundred twelve papers published 890 ads representing a value of $670,468.31. UNC-TV UNC-TV’s award-winning team produced 52 weekly episodes of its popular show North Carolina Weekend during the past year. Each episode was broadcast statewide three times weekly with a potential audience of more than 10.6 million citizens of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and income levels in North Carolina and portions of Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. The average rating for North Carolina Weekend in the Triangle area is 0.8 or 0.6 of a ratings point above the PBS prime time average rating of 1.3. The series featured more than 260 destinations, attractions and events across the state. Each of these valued in-state media partners also provided additional exposure online for the state’s messaging and VisitNC.com. PUBLIC RELATIONS • In 2011, the Division hosted visits from nearly 50 journalists from around the globe and assisted hundreds of travel writers and reporters on stories involving travel to North Carolina. • This work led to hundreds of articles, blog posts and broadcasts on North Carolina, reaching an audience of more than 500 million people. • The Division’s fall PR campaign, which included fall color, fall fishing and a broad array of events and activities, generated coverage for North Carolina by creating pitch videos of adventure spokespersons in all three regions of the state. The 14 videos featured zip-lining, stand-up paddleboarding and a wild horse safari as examples of fall adventures. • Hosted pirate-themed group media tours of the coast for both Canadian and U.K. travel writers. The group visited Wilmington, the Crystal Coast and the Outer Banks. • Led a media mission to the U.K. including several partners from across the state. • Continually worked with state agencies and tourism partners during Hurricane Irene in order to minimize its impact on travel. More Highlights New York Media Mission The Division’s PR team led a successful media mission to New York City January 24-25. The Division teamed with 20 partners from across the state to host 60 members of the media at an evening reception showcasing the best of North Carolina for 2011. In addition, Division staff and tourism partners participated in desk-side visits at select publications. Throughout the mission, staff and partners met with key travel and lifestyle producers, writers and editors, and shared what’s new in North Carolina. The event marked the Division’s fourth annual NY mission. Charlotte Media Mission Assistant Sec. Lynn Minges and the Division’s PR team hosted a successful media event at Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte on April 29. The Division teamed with several partners from across the state to host more than 30 media members at an evening reception showcasing the best of North Carolina for 2011. The mission included in-state media from Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston-Salem and out-of-state media from Greenville, Spartanburg and Birmingham. At the event, the Division and partners met with key travel and lifestyle producers, writers and editors, and also shared what’s new in North Carolina. Birmingham Media Mission The Division hosted a dinner and presentation in December for editorial staff at Birmingham-based Southern Progress publications, which includes Southern Living, Coastal Living and Cooking Light magazines. Attendees included 11 top editors covering topics such as travel, food, gardening, health and lifestyle. Assistant Sec. Lynn Minges, Director of Tourism Marketing Wit Tuttell, and Public Relations Manager Margo Metzger informed the editors of the latest news across North Carolina. The group discussed the publications’ forthcoming digital media platforms, content changes and opportunities for editorial coverage statewide. In addition, Minges and Tuttell met with Southern Living’s new publisher to discuss marketing and advertising strategies and opportunities. U.K. Coastal Media Tour The Division teamed with tourism offices representing New Hanover, Carteret, Dare and Currituck counties to host a group of five British travel writers on a press familiarization trip in October. The trip focused on the Hollywood of the East, pirate treasures and pristine coastal scenery. It included a tour of EUE Screen Gems Studios with visits to the filming locations for Dawson’s Creek and Blue Velvet. The group also visited the Crystal Coast for a chance to see treasures raised from Blackbeard’s ship and to climb Cape Lookout. The trip culminated in the Outer Banks where the group learned about the history of flight, participated in a hang-gliding lesson and went on a wild horse safari. 15 Writers from the group represented many of the largest and most important publications in the U.K., including The Daily Star, The Daily Mirror, The Mail Online, Manchester Evening News and National Geographic Kids. Collectively these publications and websites have a circulation of more than 100 million. U.K. Media Mission The Division continued its international PR efforts in July with a media mission to London and Dublin led by Public Relations Manager Margo Metzger. Several industry partners also attended the mission including representatives from the Cabarrus County CVB, Visit Charlotte, Asheville CVB, Durham CVB and Grandfather Mountain. The group met with 31 national and regional media outlets, pitching story ideas and news about new attractions, events and more. Blackbeard Media Tour The Division partnered with tourism offices representing Washington, Carteret, Hyde and Dare counties to host a group of four Canadian and U.S. travel writers on a press familiarization trip in June. The group met with historians and visited many sites associated with North Carolina’s real pirate heritage, including the new Blackbeard exhibit at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort as well as the site of Blackbeard’s demise on Ocracoke. INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS Traffic to VisitNC.com from around the world continues to increase. www.uk.visitnc.com & www.de.visitnc.com 2010 U.K. Germany January 3,207 2,409 February 2,281 2,310 March 2,499 2,286 April 2,458 1,948 May 2,359 2,121 June 1,546 1,446 July 2,105 1,886 August 2,128 2,181 September 2,177 1,826 October 2,131 1,901 November 1,861 1,413 December 1,354 1,406 TOTAL 26,106 23,133 2011 U.K. Germany January 2,290 2,282 February 2,242 1,794 March 2,097 1,618 April 1,830 1,282 May 1,021 815 June 528 574 16 July 1,147 877 August 1,264 1,465 September 1,458 1,040 October 894 890 November 1,291 868 December 1,094 911 TOTAL 17,156 14,416 CANADA Canada provides North Carolina’s highest number of international visitors. Ease of access via highways and direct air service contributed to growth in the market. • In the first three quarters of 2011, overnight visitation from Canada was 350,500, up 14.5 percent from the same time period in 2010. More than 60 percent of overnight visitors came from the province of Ontario and 25% came from Quebec. • Canadian visitors spent $105 million during the first three quarters of 2011, an increase of 27 percent from 2010. • Eighty-seven percent of Canadian visitors come for vacations/leisure or to visit family and friends • The average length of stay per visitor party is 3.7 nights. Canadian Sales & Marketing Accomplishments Trade results: The Division developed a cooperative marketing plan with Total Vacations that features Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh and the Outer Banks. Exhibited at the following trade shows: - OMCA, held November 6-9 in Windsor, Ontario - U.S. Travel’s International Pow Wow, held May 22-24 in San Francisco Cooperative Marketing & Advertising Opportunities • ATI/CAA – A new marketing agreement was formed in 2011 with ATI/CAA o CAA/Travel Agent FAM hosted in North Carolina § As part of our agreement, ATI was to organize a CAA FAM. Due to timing, ATI was unable to secure more than two agents, therefore opening the FAM up to other travel agents to create a Canadian Travel Agent FAM held in October 2011 to highlight areas off of the highway. Educating agents with tools and providing them firsthand experiences will allow them to recommend and encourage North Carolina to their clients. • Total Vacations – With the huge success of the first partnership in 2010 (before the official program launched and co-op marketing, etc.), 89 passengers booked 17 to NC with approximately 228 requests. More than 2,000 requests for the destination in this period of time. o 2011 partnership from Jan 2011- Nov 2011 resulted in 1,194 passengers booked with over 3,000 requests. o Continuation of participation with Total Vacations includes: § Inclusion in main brochure with a two-page spread § 12 exclusive eBlasts sent to more than 18,000 agents § 12 postings on Open Jaw § Two monthly promotions with incentives to book NC § Participation at five Ontario product launches • Consumer E-Newsletters – Canadian office works with LGA to offer the monthly sweepstakes to our Canadian database. Consumer Promotions Promotion – Twinings Tea “Trip for Two to Charlotte, North Carolina” • Canadian office negotiated a promotion with Twinings Tea and Zoomer magazine that ran from March 15 thru April 30, 2011 to target the snowbird market. Online contest was seen on 50plus.com, 50 Plus newsletters, Zoomer magazine newsletters and eBlasts. • The Zoomer Media campaign received $81,698.52 in media value. • We received 14,000 consumer contest entries. Promotion – Twinings Tea “Ultimate Road Trip for Four” • Canadian office negotiated a promotion with Twinings Tea and Zoomer magazine that ran from Oct. 3 – Dec. 31, 2011 to target the family holiday market. Online contest was seen on 50plus.com, 50 Plus newsletters, Zoomer magazine newsletters and eBlasts. • The Zoomer Media campaign received $99,000 in media value. • We received 7,000 consumer contest entries. CHUM-FM online – Father’s Day Adventure to North Carolina • Canadian office set up an online promotion for a Father’s Day adventure on the biggest Top 40 radio station in the Toronto area, CHUM-FM. The contest ran for two weeks, ending June 15. The adventure was three nights and four days in Raleigh, NC and included hotel, car rental, a Hurricanes hockey game and other area attractions. • The contest promoted during peak drive times on air. Sales Mission • The sales mission was held in two cities (Toronto and Montreal) in February. • Inviting industry partners to the event allowed for them to participate in training during the day and allowed them to meet one-on-one with operators to discuss product and build relationships. • Both events were a success and were joined at the reception by Canadian media, which allowed for additional coverage to the state. • The event was themed around BBQ and Southern hospitality. 18 • Between Toronto and Ontario, there were 28 trade attendees. Canadian Public Relations Results Media Results: • Twelve journalists visited the state • Media coverage: circulation of 54 million, resulting in value of $855,564 • Attended TMAC and Discover America Day. Total combined appointments 47. Media Mission – combined with our Trade mission. Hosted 57 media attendees at functions in Toronto and Montreal with CVB partners. OVERSEAS VISITORS In 2011, North Carolina attracted more than 335,000 overseas visitors to rank 18th in the nation, according to a report released by the International Trade Administration and Office of Travel and Tourism Industries in the U.S. Department of Commerce. • North Carolina was the fifth most-popular Southeastern state in the analysis, which uses in-flight surveys given to international passengers flying into the United States (excluding Canada and Mexico) to determine the destinations of the visitors. Overseas(1) Visitors To Select U.S. States and Territories: 2010-2011 2011 Rank Destination (State/Territory) 2010 Market Share 2010 Visitation (000) 2011 Market Share 2011 Visitation (000) Volume Change (%) 1 New York 32.8% 8,647 34.1% 9,508 10% 2 California 21.3% 5,615 22.0% 6,134 9% 3 Florida 22.1% 5,826 20.4% 5,688 -2% 4 Nevada 9.5% 2,504 10.3% 2,872 15% 5 Hawaiian Islands 8.1% 2,135 8.2% 2,286 7% 6 Massachusetts 4.9% 1,292 5.1% 1,422 10% 7 Texas 3.9% 1,028 4.6% 1,283 25% 8 Illinois 4.5% 1,186 4.5% 1,255 6% 9 Guam 5.0% 1,318 4.4% 1,227 -7% 10 New Jersey 3.7% 975 3.5% 976 0% 11 Pennsylvania 3.5% 923 3.3% 920 0% 12 Arizona 2.9% 765 3.1% 864 13% 13 Georgia 3.1% 817 2.4% 669 -18% 14 Washington 1.9% 501 1.8% 502 0% 14 Utah 1.8% 475 1.8% 502 6% 16 Colorado 1.3% 343 1.6% 446 30% 17 Virginia 1.4% 369 1.3% 362 -2% 19 18 North Carolina 1.3% 343 1.2% 335 -2% ** Estimates not shown due to sample size of fewer than 400. n.a. Estimate not available. Overseas excludes Canada and Mexico. Only destinations having a sample size of 400 or more are displayed. For more information concerning this statistical policy, please contact the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. This table shows only a portion of the 35 travel characteristics data reported on international arrivals to the United States. Additional information may be obtained for a fee. To learn more, please visit: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/ifs/index.html. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. Release Date: May 2012 U.K. and Ireland Sales & Marketing Accomplishments Goodwood Promotion North Carolina Division of Tourism & Film in partnership with Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011 executed an integrated consumer marketing campaign seeking to evoke interest in North Carolina as a destination, introduce it as the home of NASCAR and promote the Goodwood Festival of Speed event held in July 2011. NASCAR race teams were also present during the event, where they had a dedicated stand with additional promotional collateral available for the festival visitors. The campaign included a media partnership with Lonely Planet, as well as other print, online and DM activities. The campaign was also promoted via social media channels such as competition seeding and press releases. • Total Reach: 3,499,877 o Print Reach: 300,000 o PoS Reach: 2,000 o Online Reach: 2,143,000 o DM Reach: 1,054,877 • Total Opt-in Database: 13,231 o Landing page: 6,547 o FOC promotion placement: 6,684 • Total Campaign Value: £47,950 (+/- $74,000) Motorsports Ezine To promote the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the annual e-zine was themed around motorsport and the connection Goodwood had with North Carolina. Themes such as motorsports, palatial homes, art, golf and aviation were all used to promote North Carolina through the e-zine. Banners were placed on travel-connected websites to drive traffic to the e-zine as well as a competition of more than 13,000 entrants received. 20 • Total visits: 13,342 • Page Views: 26,338 o 0-10 minutes: 67% o 11-20 minutes: 8% o 20+ minutes: 25% Online Tactical Campaign An online tactical campaign was launched to promote North Carolina as a destination for autumn travel in association with key travel partners. A promotional e-mail was sent to more than one million consumers, and banners were placed on Trip Advisor and Travelpromos. The total reach of the campaign achieved a total of more than five million impressions, driving consumers to tour operators who sell North Carolina. The tour operators used were Bon-Voyage and America As You Like It. • Total Reach: 5,490,486 o DM: 210,000 o Online Activity: 5,280,486 • Planned Reach: 3,785,000 o DM: 980,000 o Online Activity: 2,805,000 • Outstanding Activity: 770,000 o DM Broadcast: 770,000 Product Development Through sales and marketing activity, the U.K. office has assisted in developing new North Carolina travel programs with British Airways, Trailfinders and Timeless Travel in addition to extending existing hotel portfolios of existing North Carolina travel providers. FAM Trips Piedmont FAM The 2011 U.K. FAM was held in the Charlotte and Cabarrus county area. FAM participants included Complete North America, Lastminute.com, Kenwood Travel and Travelbag. All four companies have increased their North Carolina portfolio and are actively selling the state. Sales Mission (June 2010) The U.K. sales mission ran June 13 – 17, visiting London and Leeds. Desk visits were made to key tour operators providing training and itinerary planning assistance. A Trade & Media dinner for 30 key U.K. contacts was also a great success. The mission was tied into the Goodwood promotion where a North Carolina stand was present to over 175,000 show visitors. U.K. Public Relations Results Media visits • Across IMVs and group press trips – total of six media visited across the year: One individual media visit • Five media from group press trips 21 Coverage Series of articles included on popular U.K. websites – timesonline.co.uk and guardian.co.uk – reaching a massive audience of 169,742,167 valued at $2,886,913.12 German-Speaking Europe Sales & Marketing Accomplishments The Hunger Games Promotion with FTI & Studiocanal Together with our Partners, we have set up a Promotion to promote the movie and the state. We have produced 500 window posters, 52,000 flyers to promote this in 500 FTI travel agencies and consumer shows in Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. In addition, we have set up a raffle on our German webpage and promoted this through FTI B2B and B2C newsletter, NC Facebook page, and the official German Facebook page from The Hunger Games. WTS participated in the German premiere of the movie in Berlin. In Numbers: • 500 FTI travel agencies • 500 window posters • 52,000 flyers • 10,000 contacts FTI B2B newsletter • 165,000 contacts FTI B2C newsletter • 6,534 contacts WTS newsletter • 55 contacts WTS Trade newsletter • 199 NC Facebook users • 4.500 FTI Facebook Users • 150,000 Die Tribute von Panem Facebook users • 100 travel agents invited by FTI for movie airing at the Mathaeser cinema in Munich (March 25, 2012) • 40 trade partners throughout Germany received two free cinema tickets • 1,463 raffle participants • Fifteen winners with prizes ranging from NC trip, cinema tickets, books and official merchandise E-newsletter The North Carolina e-newsletter was sent out four times (April, June, September and November) to approximately 9,000 registered users. Sales Mission German Sales Mission, November 13-19, to Frankfurt, Hamburg and Zurich. Along with partners from Visit Charlotte, we met with travel trade and did sales training with eight tour operators and media. Attended Knecht Reisen 50th anniversary event that included training 65 travel agents and seeing 3,000 consumers in the Swiss market. Trade & Consumer Shows 22 • VUSA Consumer Show Stuttgart – January 2011 • VUSA Consumer Show Hamburg – February 2011 • VUSA Consumer Show Munich – February 2011 • VUSA Seminar Linz – February 2010 • VUSA Seminar Zurich – February 2010 • VUSA Travel Agent event in Neuss – October 2011 • VUSA AER Event in Berlin – October 2011 • VUSA Consumer Show Leipzig – November 2011 • VUSA Media Event Hamburg & Munich – November 2011 Tour Operator Co-ops Joint marketing was done with several tour operators throughout the year including in Germany, FTI and Meier’s Weltreisen; in Austria, Amerikareisen; and in Switzerland, Knecht Reisen. These marketing co-ops were directed to both travel agents and direct to consumers. German Public Relations Results • Hosted eight individual journalists on visits to North Carolina • Distribution of 12 press releases to 1,200 media outlets • Total coverage: circulation of seven billion valued at $3 million Other International News • Travel South Mission to Italy – October 2011 o Exhibited at TTG Incontri in the USA Pavillion and met with more than 40 operators and media in Milan and Rome • New non-stop flights from US Airway’s Charlotte hub: o Seasonal flight service to Dublin and Madrid beginning May • The Division hosted a double North Carolina booth at the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow in San Francisco, CA, May 22-25. Industry partners from Charlotte, the Outer Banks, Asheville and Biltmore joined the state with more than 40 trade and media appointments. • Receptive Sales Mission with Travel South USA – Meeting with key receptive tour operators to include North Carolina locations in their international travel packages. These receptive tour operators are an integral part of the international buying process as they organize the lodging and other activities that make up the “package” trips that are purchased by most international visitors. Orlando is one of the main sites for receptive tour operator offices representing the eastern part of the U.S. This is the first time the Division has met with representatives in the Orlando market. TOURISM DEVELOPMENT • The Tourism Development Manager continued to be involved in various initiatives to preserve and promote the various genres of traditional and heritage music across the state. Small towns are an important part of the North Carolina 23 landscape. Actively involved in ongoing programming either independently or in conjunction with partners such as the NC Rural Center, Commerce’s Division of Community Assistance, Dept. of Cultural Resources and Handmade in America to foster revitalization that will make the communities more attractive to residents and visitors. • The Division set goals for the Tourism Development Program and improved the delivery of information for the program on the Department of Commerce website. The effort is designed to make local communities more aware of resources within the Division as well as other opportunities for product development. • TDM made presentations on Cultural Heritage Tourism Development and ways to work with the Division to partners throughout NC. • TDM represented the Division during the African American Heritage Commission, planning a meeting at NC Central University. • Continue to work with TDAs and CVBs to assist with strategic planning for tourism development in their areas, research potential resources and partnership opportunities. Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC) • Developed the Tourism Resource Assistance Center (TRAC) that brings the Division’s program managers to local communities to discuss the nuts and bolts of working with the Division. • TRAC sessions to date: 1. New Bern – over 40 tourism businesses and partners attended 2. Lexington – over 25 tourism businesses partners attended 3. Smithfield – over 35 tourism businesses partners attended 4. Bryson City – over 40 tourism businesses partners attended 5. Morganton – over 60 tourism businesses partners attended North Carolina Civil War Trails: Civil War 150th The Division of Tourism, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, utilized funding from a $1.1 million federal transportation enhancements grant to develop, design, fabricate and install interpretive markers at campaign sites and corridors of the Civil War. • The trail expanded to 232 sites in 78 counties at the end of 2011, with a goal to install more in the future. • Visitors downloaded more than 12,000 Civil War Trails maps from www.visitnc.com and www.civilwartraveler.com. • Planning continued on marketing activities surrounding the 150th Commemoration of the Civil War (2011-2015), using the marketing universals of the Civil War Trails program. • Worked with Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and other 12 state representatives to develop a Civil War Map Guide titled “Civil War from the Home Front.” The guide was distributed in the 2011 spring issue of American Heritage Magazine and the Division distributed 26,000 overruns through its Welcome Centers. • Worked with the NC Civil War Tourism Council and informed communities, programs and sites of the opportunities related to the council such as “Watch Fire” annual publication and grants program. 24 Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) Created by congressional legislation, the BRNHA is supported through a partnership with the Division to assist in coordinating planning for the 25 counties in the designated region. • TDM continued to assist in the implementation of the county initiatives outlined in each county’s heritage plan. • TDM continued to take an active role in assisting the BRNHA in developing, facilitating and guiding communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway for themes such as agriculture, arts and culture, traditional music, history/heritage and natural resources. Community Partnerships • The TDM worked closely with communities participating in the NC STEP Program through the NC Rural Center and NC Main Street Program. Represented the Division during the NC Main Street Annual Conference in Clayton, NC. • TDM continued to be actively engaged in the development of outdoor recreational/ecotourism/agritourism opportunities in the regions across the state. Farms, waterways, hiking and biking trails, greenways and open spaces are important features in a community that improve and promote quality of life and link people with their natural and cultural heritage. • TDM continued to research resources for communities; work with communities interested in TDA development, marketing initiatives, heritage trails development; product development plans. National Heritage Area Designation • The TDM continued work with National Park Service on the feasibility study of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution National Heritage Corridor proposal. • TDM worked with Northeastern, Eastern and Southeastern Economic Development Regions on a proposal to designate the state’s 40 eastern-most counties as a National Heritage Area. Heritage Trails Development • TDM assisted in developing partners for “Plank Road” project within the counties of Cumberland, Harnett and Moore to focus on African American Culture & Heritage. • TDM assisted in the revamping of the Blue Ridge Music Trail, partnering with DCR and other communities in the region. • TDM worked with DCR in the development of the African American Music Trail in the counties of Onslow, Lenoir, Craven, Pitt, Edgecombe, Wilson, Wayne and Greene. • TDM worked with Textile Heritage Corridor group to preserve and promote Textile Mill Heritage areas. • TDM worked with Daniel Boone Heritage Trail Committee. • TDM worked with African American Heritage Commission in the development of “Freedom Roads” heritage trail. 25 Certified Retirement Community Program The NC Dept. of Commerce operates a community development program for communities that are positioning for retiree attraction as an economic and community development strategy. The NC General Assembly, during the 2008 short session, recognized the inherent panoply of quality living that the state offers and established the NC Certified Retirement Community Program (S.B. 1627) as a vehicle to designate communities that offer this unprecedented quality of living that is sought by the mature community. To gain certification, a local government must submit an application for consideration. Initial evaluation of the community and technical assistance is provided by Commerce’s Community Development Division. The designation has a five-year life, after which communities will need to consider recertification at the sunset of the five-year period. Once a community has completed the certification process, the Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development will help market and promote the community. • TDA is working with the Community Development office to administer and promote communities into the program. • TDA has made presentation to local commissions and city managers about the program and benefits. • TDA is promoting certified communities and areas of NC during the AARP “Life@50+” Convention. • Certified communities include: 1. Lumberton (pilot program) 2. Asheboro (2012) INDUSTRY RELATIONS Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Asheville (March 13-15) Governor Bev Perdue revealed the 2010 tourism economic impact numbers to more than 500 attendees at the Winner’s Circle Luncheon at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. In addition to visitor spending, Perdue announced North Carolina, which maintained its ranking as the sixth most-visited state in the nation, gained nearly 2,000 tourism jobs in 2010 while state tax revenues from visitor spending increased 12.6 percent and have increased 16.2 percent since 2007. Also, visitor spending directly generated a total of more than $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenues. State tax revenue totaled more than $947 million and local tax revenues were $546 million as a direct result of visitor spending. The Division’s annual conference featured dynamic, educational programming and valuable networking opportunities and drew a near-record crowd focused on the theme of finding the “Rhythm of Success.” Tourism Day in Raleigh (May 10) Governor Perdue proclaimed May 10 as North Carolina Tourism Day. A full day of events was scheduled in Raleigh to celebrate North Carolina’s tourism industry. Tourism organizations from around the state had informational booths in the NC Legislative Building coordinated by the NC Travel Industry Association, giving partners an opportunity for lawmakers to meet tourism industry officials and learn about the positive 26 impact of the industry. In addition, the travel industry had the chance to showcase their area at a private reception for legislators at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. North Carolina’s nine Welcome Centers hosted their own events during National Tourism Week (May 7-15) to thank travelers to the state. Regional Mid-Year Marketing Updates (September 2011) The Division went on the road this year for its Mid-Year Marketing Update, offering several forums to make it easier for industry partners to participate and contribute to the Division’s planning efforts. Events were held in all three regions of the state including Asheville, Nags Head, Atlantic Beach and Concord throughout the month of September. MYMU brought together nearly 400 leaders from all sectors of North Carolina’s travel industry to highlight recent performance trends, provide updates on the Division’s current marketing programs and co-op initiatives and gain insight from partners to help fuel the Division’s strategic planning for FY 2012-13. The Division also shared research on the most recent visitor profiles and trends within each region of the state. WINE Wine & Grape Council • Promoted 108 North Carolina wineries in 49 counties across the state in 2011. The number of wineries has doubled since 2005 and grown five-fold in the last decade. • The North Carolina wine and grape industry generates an economic impact of more than $1.28 billion, and produces more than $51 million in state and local tax revenue. • The wine industry supports nearly 7,600 jobs for North Carolinians. • Wineries attract more than 1.26 million tourists a year across the state, and generate $156 million in visitor spending. • North Carolina ranks 10th in the nation for wine and grape production. • New legislation in July 2011 created two wine advisory committees: Muscadine Advisory Committee and Vinifera Advisory Committee. The wine program is focused on promoting wine tourism in North Carolina and driving visitation to the state’s wineries. • North Carolina wineries and wines were promoted locally, nationally and internationally through public relations and advertising. • Participated in the Division’s media missions throughout the year to showcase North Carolina wines for the media in New York, Washington, D.C., etc. • Redesigned and produced the new NC Winery Guide, a 56-page booklet featuring maps, breakouts on grape varieties, history, amenities and photos. There were 200,000 copies produced and distributed to travelers, tourism authorities and welcome centers across the state, nationally and internationally. • Developed and launched a mobile website for visitncwine.com that includes listings, geolocation for proximity searches, search capability for wineries and winery events and filters for the state's three American Viticultural Areas and winery amenities. • Upgraded the N.C. wine consumer website, visitncwine.com, with additional content and improved site navigation and mapping. 27 • Redesigned the N.C. wine industry site, nccommerce.com/wine, with improved content, resources, navigation and layout consistent with Department of Commerce sites redesign. • Promoted N.C. wineries and visitncwine.com with outdoor billboards on key corridor highways throughout the state. • Participated in N.C. Winegrowers Association and N.C. Muscadine Grape Association annual conferences and meetings. • Partnered with University of North Carolina Greensboro to begin conducting a wine tourism study to better understand wine tourists’ motivations and demographics for targeting and improving marketing strategies. • Gov. Perdue declared September 2011 as Wine and Grape Appreciation Month in North Carolina. • Partnered with North Carolina State Fair to host 2011 N.C. State Fair Wine Competition in October. Nearly 450 commercial wines and 100 amateur wines were entered in the competition. Top award winners were displayed and winery guides were distributed during the N.C. State Fair. FILM • The state Film Office and regional film commissions promoted filmmaking in North Carolina at the annual Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Locations tradeshow and the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Produced By Conference at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. • The NCFO participated at the Sundance Film Festival and promoted NC film with both a media lounge that we teamed with celebs.com and reception with directors and producers. • The NCFO sponsored the filmmaker lounge at SXSW Film Festival and promoted NC film. • 2011 Production Highlights o 536 active projects o 45 projects shot in North Carolina o $241,851,800 direct spend by productions o 2,845 production days o 31,050 jobs created § 4,353 crew § 745 talent § 25,952 extras • 50 productions including features, television, commercials, and single episodes filmed in North Carolina in calendar year 2010; collectively these productions spent approximately $75 million in North Carolina. • Highlights of film projects during 2011include: o One Tree Hill season 9 and series finale – Wilmington Region o The Hunger Games – Western & Charlotte Regions o Journey 2: Mysterious Island – Wilmington Region o The Shunning - Piedmont Triad Region o Homeland – Charlotte Region o Eastbound & Down season 3 – Wilmington Region SPORTS 28 • Continued to enhance sportsnc.com website, promoting North Carolina's appeal as an attractive destination for sporting events of all kinds and providing sports-event rights holders and planners an easy connection to NCSA's 36-member destinations and organizations. • Coordinated and led a cooperative effort with 33 sports sales directors and managers from North Carolina communities to market the state as a premier sporting event destination at Travel, Events and Management in Sports (TEAMS) Annual Conference. • Partnered with North Carolina Amateur Sports to coordinate statewide sports-related events, including: Cycle North Carolina Mountains to the Coast Fall Ride, Cycle North Carolina Spring Weekend Ride, State Games of North Carolina and the North Carolina Senior Games. • Provided contact information for sports organizations, motorsports teams and professional sports teams in North Carolina. • Attended quarterly North Carolina Sports Association meetings. CONTACTS North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development 301 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 919-733-4171 2011 North Carolina Travel & Tourism Board Josh Bass Currituck Chamber of Commerce 103 Egret Cove Moyock, NC 27958 Phone: (252) 453-9497 Email: jbbass05@gmail.com Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Sabrina Bengel City of New Bern 329A Middle Street New Bern, NC 28560 Phone: (252) 636-5898 Email: sabrinabengel@yahoo.com Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Rolf Blizzard Turnpike Properties 615 Hillsborough Street, Suite 201 Raleigh, NC 27603 Phone: (919) 833-8380 Fax: (919) 833-8379 Email: rblizzard1@me.com Appointed by: NC Travel & Tourism Coalition Term Ends: Ex Officio Chris Cavanaugh Magellan Strategy Group 131 Windover Drive Asheville, NC 28803 Phone: (828) 651-9320 Fax: (828) 651-8921 Email: ccavanaugh@magellanstrategy.com Appointed by: Governor Term Ends: Governor's Term Robert "Randy" Cobb Abercrombie Oil Co., Inc. 5600 Forest Manor Drive Greensboro, NC 27410 Phone: (336) 378-0400 x243 Fax: (336) 274-5530 Email: rrcobb@abercrombieoil.com Appointed by: NC Petroleum Marketers Assn. Term Ends: 12/31/2011 29 Secretary J. Keith Crisco NC Department of Commerce 301 N. Wilmington Street Raleigh, NC 27601 Phone: (919) 733-3449 Fax: (919) 733-8356 Email: kcrisco@nccommerce.com Appointed by: NC Dept. of Commerce Term Ends: Ex Officio (Non-Voting) Teresa Damiano Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority PO Box 80001 RDU Airport, NC 27623 Phone: (919) 840-7708 Fax: (919) 840-0175 Email: teresa.damiano@rdu.com Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 S. Lewis Ebert NC Chamber 701 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 400 Raleigh, NC 27607 Phone: (919) 836-1410 Fax: (919) 836-1425 Email: lebert@ncchamber.net Appointed by: NC Chamber Term Ends: Ex Officio Denny Edwards Greater Raleigh CVB 421 Fayetteville Street Mall Suite 1505 Raleigh, NC 27601 Phone: (919) 645-2656 Fax: (919) 831-2887 Email: dedwards@visitraleigh.com Appointed by: DMANC Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Rep. Phillip Haire North Carolina House of Representatives 609 Legislative Office Building Raleigh, NC 27603 Phone: (919) 715-3005 Email: Philliph@ncleg.net Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Rep. Susi Hamilton North Carolina House of Representatives 206 Nun Street Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: (919) 733-5754 Email: Susi.Hamilton@ncleg.net Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Sen. Ralph Hise North Carolina Senate 1026 Legislative Building Raleigh, NC 27601 Phone: (919) 733-3460 Email: Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Kimberly "Kim" Hufham Wilmington & Beaches CVB 505 Nutt Street Unit A Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: (910) 332-8746 Fax: (910) 341-4029 Email: khufham@wilmingtonandbeaches.com Appointed by: NCTIA Term Ends: Ex Officio Chris Humphrey Allstate Insurance / ERA Humphrey Realty Group 900 W Vernon Ave Kinston, NC 28501 Phone: (252) 526-0400 ext 31 Email: allstateman@gmail.com Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Vimal Kolappa East Coast Hospitality, LLC 719 West 15th St, Suite 11 Washington, NC 27889 Phone: (252) 974-0439 Fax: (252) 974-1164 Email: vkolappa@yahoo.com Appointed by: Governor Term Ends: Governor's Term 30 John Randal "Randy" Kolls Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club 3001 Cameron Blvd. Durham, NC 27705 Phone: (919) 490-0999 Fax: (919) 490-6500 Email: rkolls@wdigc.com Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Donna Carpenter Cabarrus CVB 10099 Weddington Rd., Suite 102 Concord, NC 28027 Phone: (704) 782-4340 Fax: (704) 782-4333 Email: Donna@visitcabarrus.com Appointed by: DMANC Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Lynn Minges NC Department of Commerce 4324 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 Phone: (919) 733-4171 Fax: (919) 733-8582 Email: lminges@nccommerce.com Appointed by: NC Dept. of Commerce Term Ends: Ex Officio (Non-Voting) Robert M. O'Halloran East Carolina University Dept of Hospitality Management 152 Rivers Greenville, NC 27858 Phone: (252) 737-1604 Fax: (252) 328-4276 Email: ohalloranr@ecu.edu Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Davin Olsen Gale Force Sports & Entertainment/Carolina Hurricanes 1400 Edwards Mill Rd. Raleigh, NC 27607 Phone: (919) 861-6173 Fax: (919) 861-5468 Email: daveo@rbccenter.com Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Sen. Jean Preston North Carolina Senate 629 Legislative Office Building Raleigh, NC 27603 Phone: (919) 733-5706 Email: Jean.Preston@ncleg.net Appointed by: Senate President Pro Tempore Term Ends: 12/31/2012 Harris Prevost Grandfather Mountain PO Box 995 Linville, NC 28646 Phone: (828) 733-2013 Fax: (828) 733-2608 Email: harris@grandfather.com Appointed by: NCTIA Term Ends: 12/31/2011 Joan H. Pulley Carteret County Chamber of Commerce 332 Winding Woods Way Beaufort, NC 28516 Phone: (252) 728-2817 Fax: (252) 728-2817 Email: jhpulley@gmail.com Appointed by: House Speaker Term Ends: 12/31/2012 James "Jamie" Reibel Sargasso Travels, Inc., Phideaux Fishing 305 Sir Walter Raleigh St. Manteo, NC 27954 Phone: (252) 473-8051 Fax: (252) 473-2901 Email: phideaux@embarqmail.com Appointed by: NCWU Term Ends: 12/31/2011 Leonard Rigsbee Cap-N-Squid Boatworks 115 Wayland Ct. Gloucester, NC 28528 Phone: (252) 723-3612 Email: lcapnsquid@aol.com Appointed by: NCWU Term Ends: 12/31/2011 31 Tom Ruff The Biltmore Company One North Pack Square Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: (828) 225-6105 Fax: (828) 225-6126 Email: truff@biltmore.com Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2011 Susan Spangler The Greensboro Carousel 111 Kemp Road East Greensboro, NC 27410 Phone: (336) 553-3772 Fax: (336) 553-3701 Email: susangspangler@gmail.com Appointed by: Governor Term Ends: Governor's Term Steve Thanhauser, Chairman The Angus Barn 9401 Glenwood Avenue Raleigh, NC 27617 Phone: (919) 787-3505 Fax: (919) 783-5568 Email: sthanhauser@angusbarn.com Appointed by: NCRLA Term Ends: 12/31/2013 Mitzi York Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority PO Box 1186 Shallotte, NC 28459 Phone: (910) 755-5517 x1 Fax: (910) 575-5759 Email: myork@ncbrunswick.com Appointed by: DMANC Term Ends: 12/31/2013 2011 NC Film Council Chair: Bob Seligson, Raleigh Mayor William Bell, Durham Timothy M. Bourne, Wilmington Hilarie Burton, Wilmington John Wesley Davis, Winston-Salem Mark de Castrique, Charlotte Terri E. Dollar, Raleigh Eugene W. Ellison, Asheville Craig Fincannon, Wilmington Monty Hagler, High Point Stephen Hill, Kinston Cress Horne, Marshville Vice-Chair: E.A. Tod Thorne, Charlotte NC State Rep. Daniel F. McComas, Wilmington Thom Mount, Durham/Beverly Hills, Calif. James M. O'Brien, III, Raleigh Dale Pollock, Winston-Salem Jason Rosin, Wilmington Zeb Smathers, Canton Herman A. Stone, Charlotte Kelly R. Tenney, Castle Hayne Bill Vassar, Wilmington Rep. William L. Wainwright, Havelock Robert E. Zaytoun, Raleigh 2011 NC Wine Tourism Advisory Committees Muscadine Advisory Committee Bill Hatcher, Raleigh Bob Hinnant, Pine Level Phil Nordan, Chair, Monroe 32 Dan Smith, Vice Chair, Wagram William Yost, Salisbury Vinifera Advisory Committee Ed Cook, Chair, Matthews Jerry Douglas, Asheville Mark Friszolowski, Lexington Buddy Norwood, Dobson Karen Ray, Vice Chair, Mooresville |
OCLC number | 132687771 |