Public Relations & International Tourism
Public relations and international tourism summary
Worked directly with local, domestic and international media pitching story ideas, hosting press trips and responding to inquiries in order to garner positive editorial coverage for Wake County as destination of choice for leisure visitors, meetings and conventions as well as sporting events. Also worked with international tour operators and receptives to increase awareness of the area to foreign individual travelers.
Outbound media initiatives
By hitting the road to take the Raleigh, N.C., message to key media marketplaces and missions in key markets—as well as sending electronic pitches to targeted media—the department was able to pitch Raleigh story ideas to more than 1,370 journalists domestically and abroad.
News releases
Wrote a combined total of more than 50 press releases and pitches distributed to appropriate, targeted media outlets locally, regionally and nationally. Releases focused on topics ranging from CVB accomplishments and initiatives to tourism industry performance indicators to leisure marketing campaigns and culinary, family travel and outdoor adventure-based pitches.
Visiting media
Continued to engage many mainstream travel outlets that consider Raleigh, N.C., an "undiscovered" destination with many new, exciting things happening. There is increased interest in Raleigh as a travel destination, and because of this, the Public Relations and International Tourism Department hosted 63 credentialed and working media from both domestic and international publications.
Media coverage
As a result of the media relations efforts mentioned above, the department was able to garner more than 450 earned media placements totaling 690.5 million impressions and stellar media coverage of the Raleigh area as a premier leisure, meeting and sports destination. "Big hits" in national publications included the The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bon Appétit, USA TODAY, Travel + Leisure, Toronto Star, The New York Times and others. The media had some great things to say about Raleigh, N.C., this past year as well.
International tourism initiatives
In its third year, the Public Relations and International Tourism Department aimed its international tourism efforts at growing foreign individual travel, specifically from three key international markets with direct daily flights—Canada, U.K. and France. Initiatives included one-on-one trainings with foreign tour operators who book individual travel as well as hosting tour operators for familiarization trips.
Through attending two key tradeshows—IPW and Travel South International, as well as in-market media and trade missions organized by Visit North Carolina in Canada, the U.K. and France—the team was able to meet with more than 200 tour operators, establishing connections and fostering relationships in those key markets as well as other emerging markets and countries.
The department also executed two direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns aimed at international visitors in Canada and the U.K.