Tourism Talk blog

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Destinations International, the global trade association for convention and visitors bureaus and their staffs, released an Allyship Letter on behalf of its global membership on June 29. As with so many aspects of our society, there are long-standing,

Let us clue you in about a great resource on visitRaleigh.com. The Partners section of our website has all kinds of great information and resources for area hospitality businesses/organizations, including access to PIXL, links to all the parts and pieces of the Destination Strategic Plan (DSP),

Representatives from North Carolina travel and tourism, including GRCVB president and CEO Dennis Edwards, were in Washington, D.C., recently for Destination Capitol Hill, the U.S. Travel Association’s annual event for leaders in the travel sector. The group had successful meetings with Sen....

With 2021 winding down, here are 21 things in the Greater Raleigh sports tourism industry that I’m thankful for as we head into the holiday season: 1. Our GRSA staff. You won’t find a better or more hard-working group anywhere in America. That would be Tori Collins, Jason Philbeck,...

The Wake County Board of Commissioners allocated $2.67 million of their American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the GRCVB in late summer 2021, which was included in our 2021-2022 fiscal-year budget and business plan. These funds brought our budget back to nearly pre-COVID levels and put us in a

One reason millions of visitors come to North Carolina is for its natural beauty as seen from scenic roadways. Unfortunately, we are still facing challenges with litter along our interstates, freeways and many of our local and state roads. We all know that litter is unsightly, it damages our

GRCVB’s 2020-2021 Annual Report has been released, and the online report includes summaries from each of the Bureau’s departments (Sales, Destination Services, Marketing and Communications, Public Relations and International Tourism, Sports Marketing, Administration and Marketing...

GRCVB hosted its first hybrid Annual Meeting on Thurs., Aug. 19, 2021, virtually and in A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Here’s a summary of the meeting... Wake County welcomed 12.9 million visitors in 2020, which was a decrease of 29% from 2019....

The last 17 months have no doubt been unprecedented in their overall effect on the revenues, employment and economic performance in the hospitality sector. Contingency planning, recovery tactics and long-term resiliency are the objectives for the GRCVB and all our community partners. The old saying

We announced in the Tourism Talk blog on June 21 that there are several significant staff changes underway in the Destination Services Department here at the Bureau. As of July 31, 2021, Julie Brakenbury, CGSP ® , director of services since 2007, is taking her much-deserved retirement, while...