GRCVB is opening enrollment for 2026! Tourism U, the Bureau's learning track for tourism and destination education, is ready to come to you this year and teach the value of tourism for Raleigh and Wake County. 

Since 2019, GRCVB has offered Tourism U to local residents, industry allies and leaders throughout Wake County. Our goal is to assist our stakeholders in understanding the importance of tourism development in Wake County and how that development in turn helps us as locals when maintaining and enhancing our quality of place. 

The 15-20 minute Tourism U 100 presentation covers:

  • the basics of tourism-related economic development;
  • an overview of Wake County's tourism funding model, so stakeholders can be knowledgeable about the collection and distribution of the Interlocal Fund;
  • a primer on the uniqueness of Wake County's tourism landscape and how it's managed (including a little about GRCVB).

This presentation is great for groups from five to 50; be it a monthly all-hands meeting with your chamber of commerce team or a civic organization's networking lunch, we are happy to share what tourism does for Raleigh, N.C.

Beyond our 100 Level class, we can offer Tourism U 200, which is a more in-depth conversation about sustainable economic growth and development through tourism, implementation of Destination Strategic Plan priorities and more:

  • for groups of less than five in a desk-side or boardroom visit;
  • including information about tourism advocacy opportunities;
  • via conversational learning beyond the 100 Level basics.

While Wake County hospitality business partners and area stakeholders who attend GRCVB's regular events often know of visitation's impacts already, those just one degree of separation from them may not have the full picture of why we do what we do and how important our strategic pursuit of tourism has been since 1986. Stakeholders like these are the ideal audience for the Tourism U learning track.

Email us here if you know of a group who could benefit or if you're interested in setting up a Tourism U 100 Level session for your staff!