Tourism Talk blog

After nearly 20 years as president and CEO of GRCVB, Dennis Edwards has announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31, 2026. A 44-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Edwards became president and CEO of GRCVB in April 2007. Before taking the helm in Raleigh, he held leadership roles with several

GRCVB is more than just visitRaleigh.com. Sure, we list Raleigh/Wake County business partners on our website and have one of the most visited calendars of events in the area, but we offer a myriad of resources for partners to better align with us in engaging our external client/visitor markets

In July 1776 America declared its independence (though the Revolutionary War that had started in 1775 would not be fully concluded until 1783). Now 250 years later, the U.S. is embarking on a semiquincentennial celebration—with a focus on 2026 but with additional programs continuing through...

Last week, the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex unveiled architectural renderings of the new Raleigh Convention Center (RCC) expansion. This transformative 298,100-sq.-ft. facility adds significant event capacity in downtown Raleigh, bringing the center’s total square footage to

GRCVB is joining the U.S. Travel Association in celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), May 4-10, 2025. NTTW is an annual tradition that highlights travel’s essential role in driving economic growth, creating jobs and enhancing quality of life across the U.S. Since 1983, the...

Raleigh, N.C. (Nov. 14, 2024) – Visit Raleigh released the Wake County Tourism Industry Report for the third quarter of 2024 today. Key performance indicators (KPIs), hospitality tax collections and prepared food and beverage tax collections continue to see increases over 2023 year-to-date...

In case you missed the press release last week, GRCVB joined with the U.S. Travel Association, Congresswoman Deborah Ross, area business leaders and other economic development stakeholders for a ​“Travel Works for America” Power Hour on Oct. 24. The discussion, held at RDU...

For GRCVB, our fiscal year is beginning to wind down, which means that while we're finishing up business for this year through June 30, we are getting primed and ready to go for fiscal year 2024‒2025 on July 1. Area partners can get a head start on our goals for the next year with our...

This past week GRCVB staff members attended the 2024 Visit North Carolina Tourism Conference in Greenville, N.C. Each year, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), major attractions, their advertising agencies and other stakeholders from across the state gather to network professionally and

Even in 2019, GRCVB was touting Wake County's booming beer scene thanks, in part, to passage of the Craft Beer Distribution and Modernization Act. A pandemic, a recovery and a few years later, the craft beer scene is as strong as ever and still a vital part of visitation to Raleigh, N.C. To...