Greater Raleigh Tourism e-News
Welcome to the tenth issue of Greater Raleigh Tourism e-News … presented by the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB). This monthly e-News is the metamorphosis of two CVB communications tools (Visitor Advance and Matter of Fax). Please let us know about any news pertaining to Wake County's billion dollar visitor industry for possible inclusion in future issues.
IN VOLUME 1, ISSUE 10:
Making Play for 2006-08 CIAA
More Parking for New Convention Center Area
2005 Cooperative Marketing Opportunities
Optimistic Travel Outlook for 2005
Assisted Bureau Bookings in October
Sales/Sports News
Dateline Raleigh
Events in Greater Raleigh Through Next Month
Making Play for 2006-08 CIAA
On Nov. 15 in Norfolk, Raleigh and Charlotte made their formal pitches to host the 2006-2008 CIAA Basketball Tournaments. Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, Durham Mayor Bill Bell and Progress Energy's Hilda Pinnix-Ragland represented an array of partners (City of Raleigh, County of Wake, Gale Force Sports and Entertainment, Greater Raleigh CVB and local steering committee). A decision should be made in the coming weeks.
A major selling point was the tournament's record-breaking success in Raleigh at the RBC Center with total turnstile attendance surging from 42,811 in Winston-Salem in 1999 to 54,730 in Raleigh in 2000 to 74,729 in 2001, 80,446 in 2002, 80,788 in 2003 and 90,855 in 2004 (a 112-percent increase over 1999). When complimentary tickets utilized for community initiatives, sponsor and school administrator passes and free youth group entries are accounted for, attendance for 2004 CIAA week topped 104,000. Raleigh will also host the event in 2005.
The economic impact for the area was $7.8 million in 2000, $8.8 million in 2001, $9.7 million in 2002, $10.2 million in 2003 and $11.5 million in 2004. Equally important, the 2004 tournament generated more than $983,000 in tax revenue alone from only hotel, meal and sales taxes. The CIAA Tournament, which is the Triangle region's largest annual sporting event, also generated 25,887 total hotel room nights, a 24.1-percent increase from the previous year.
More Parking for New Convention Center Area
On Nov. 16, the Raleigh City Council agreed to build a four-level underground parking structure to accommodate 980 parking spaces on the site beneath the new Marriott convention center hotel. The parking deck would open in conjunction with the hotel and new convention center in February 2008. There are also future plans under consideration for an additional 640 parking spaces underground on the east side of the Fayetteville Street corridor between Fayetteville Street and Wilmington Street.
The new convention center complex is expected to result in 900 additional new jobs and more than $50 million additional economic benefit annually for Wake County. Click here for more details.
2005 Cooperative Marketing Opportunities
From significant sporting events like the U.S. Open Golf Championship in nearby Pinehurst to hundreds of holiday and spring events, there are many ways to leverage CVB programs and assist your business goals through the area's billion dollar visitor industry.
Some exciting cooperative partnerships have been developed for 2005 that offer ways to join forces with CVB campaigns via online, magazine and newspaper advertising with participation rates starting from $250. The Bureau has been able to negotiate unprecedented affordable rates in the Charlotte Observer and Valassis newspaper insert throughout North Carolina, magazines like Southern Living, Our State, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, House & Garden, Conde Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and eight online endeavors.
Among other highlights are the TGIF weekend promotion, The News & Observer weekend program, GolfZoo packaging and free opportunities like hot deals, special offers, a Golf Concierge program and much more.
For more information about these co-op marketing opportunities, please contact the Bureau's director of partnership and tourism marketing Shawn Braden at 919-645-2663 or sbraden@visitraleigh.com.
Optimistic Travel Outlook for 2005
Two of the hardest-hit segments of the travel industry -- domestic business travel and international inbound travel -- will both see their first increases since before Sept. 11, 2001, according to forecasts released at last month's Travel Industry of America (TIA) Marketing Outlook Forum. Americans will take nearly 144 million business trips by the end of the year, an increase of 4% over 2003. In 2005, business travel will increase 3.6% to nearly 149 million trips. Improved business travel is also fueling renewed strength in demand for both air travel and hotel rooms. The Air Transport Association forecasts a 5% increase in air passengers by year end. Smith Travel Research predicts a 4% gain in room demand this year. After falling steadily for three years, international arrivals to the United States are forecast to rise 7.5% this year and nearly 5% in 2005. This translates into more than 43 million international arrivals by the end of this year and almost 46 million in 2005. TIA also said that leisure travel will continue to be a bright spot for the travel industry. Domestic travel is expected to increase 2.9% this year and 2% in 2005, TIA said.
Assisted Bureau Bookings in October
- Contiki Tours, Feb. 2005-Feb. 2006 (400 TRN; $146,400 EEI)
- Classic Reservation Service, Oct. 10-24, 2005 (280 TRN; $110,310 EEI)
- Red Hat, Inc., Oct. 3-6, 2005 (240 TRN; $85,977 EEI)
- N.C. Women's Bowling Association Annual Meeting, May 20-22, 2005 (240 TRN; $83,520 EEI)
- U.S. Blind Golf Association, Oct. 9-13, 2005 (200 TRN; $74,760 EEI)
- USTA Professional Women's Tennis Classic, Oct. 21-24, 2004 (330 TRN; $58,770 EEI)
Sales/Sports News
The sales department hosted the North Carolina International Dyslexia Association Board meeting and site visits for the Cancer & Leukemia Group, Eastern North Carolina Iris Society and the Mid Atlantic Sectional Bridge Tournament. Meanwhile, the sports staff hosted a site visit for the 2005 NCAA Division III Softball Championship and helped prepare bids for the 2006 National Softball Association's (NSA) Senior World Series and the 2005 NSA Super World Series (Men's Class E), to be presented at the NSA's annual meeting in November.
Dateline Raleigh
An integrated public relations campaign with the North Carolina Museum of Art to promote the Matisse/Picasso exhibition resulted in editorial coverage in outlets like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chattanooga Free Press, Chicago Sun Times, Destinations Magazine, Detroit News, Diversion Magazine, Miami Herald, National Geographic Traveler Online, New York Daily News, Orlando Sentinel, Peoria Journal Star, Toronto Sun, USA Today Magazine and The Virginian-Pilot. This positive publicity to brand the Raleigh area as an arts and cultural destination results in many short-term and long-term benefits for the local visitor industry.
Said the Toronto Star in a full-page feature on November 6, "Big Ed's a big deal. Family recipes dished up at famous Raleigh restaurant were once served to confederate troops."
As seen on Turner South's "3 Day Weekend" throughout November, "Raleigh is a lively city full of surprises--and is well worth a 3 Day Weekend. On this trip with Erin Haney, we find a bit of Western flair and natural appeal right outside the city (J&H Stables and Umstead State Park). In town, we meet a famous resident who's larger than life and serves the best breakfast in town (Big Ed Watkins). We also dabble in the city's late-night art scene (First Friday at Artspace); play with fire in the kitchen (Chef Rameaux's School of Cooking and Louisiana Market); and get rubbed, scrubbed, and zapped (Blue Water Spa)."Learn more here.
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