Tourism Talk blog

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...

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...

In case you missed it, GRCVB released this report to media on May 10. ........................... 2021 First Quarter Wake County Tourism Industry Report Tourism tax collections and KPIs slowly rebounding from COVID-19 pandemic Raleigh, N.C. – GRCVB has released the Wake County Tourism...

Now that many of us are sporting red Walgreens bandages on our arms after first and second vaccine doses, the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel seems brighter than ever. There are sports groups (and big ones) already on their way for national championships and tournaments in Wake County this

Last week, we were delighted to share with you a project we have been working on at GRCVB during the pandemic (and before). Visit Raleigh Studio is a curated collection of digital assets (video footage, including from aerial drones at over 75 sites around the county), 360° virtual tours of 90

As we have reported throughout fall 2020 and into 2021, GRCVB was grateful to have received CARES Act funding through Wake County. We have written in previous Tourism Talk posts about how the funds were allotted for four, significant tourism projects during that time. One of those projects that is

The year 2020 was an extremely challenging and difficult time for the leisure and hospitality industry. However, as vaccines continue to be developed and distributed, we believe consumer confidence regarding travel once again will begin to rebound. There are indicators that Wake County tourism will

In the last Tourism Talk blog post of 2020, we asked the GRCVB staff to reflect on 2020 and share the lessons they have learned, especially as related to tourism and the work we all do. You can read their responses here. Now in this first blog post of 2021, we asked them an opposite question and we