Tourism Talk blog

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 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

Once again... the announcement is bittersweet. GRCVB’s director of destination services Julie Brakenbury, CGSP ® , has announced her retirement. Just as with the retirement of Theresa Tyler in Dec. 2020, saying goodbye to these colleagues comes with mixed emotions; we’re happy for...

Start tuning up those banjos and dust off your boots—IBMA World of Bluegrass is coming back! We’re excited to announce that the International Bluegrass Music Association and local planning team are working on a full schedule of festival events, along with a few virtual additions and...

Earlier in 2021, we published a Tourism Talk blog post about the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC), an outgrowth of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) focusing on esports and supported by Subnation and GRCVB. You can read more about GRELOC and its mission here.

Open your calendars and add this date for the 2021 GRCVB Annual Meeting. Thurs., Aug. 19, 2021 • 10-11am For the first time, the GRCVB Annual Meeting will be a hybrid event originating from A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Partners may attend in...

Many GRCVB staff members volunteer on local boards and committees that support the work of tourism in Wake County. For example, Bureau president and CEO Dennis Edwards is a board member of the Triangle Trails Initiative. Read more here about the work of this group and their plans for the future.