Agenda | Video Recap | Community Engagement Report | Meeting Recaps

The Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee for the Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP) met on June 11 at the Visitors Bureau administrative offices in Manteo. After a few Bureau updates, the committee discussed:

- Future community engagement initiatives such as local meet-ups, the continuation of LRTMP ‘Road Show’ presentations to various stakeholder groups, participation in local events, and a possible “on-location” video podcast featuring various community, tourism and LRTMP topics.

- Ways to continue to grow and bolster nonprofit partnerships and the Voluntourism initiative, including exploring an online platform to help manage and aggregate community volunteer opportunities, as well as the creation of a ‘Tourism for Good’ Volunteer Week in October.

- Conducting Visitor and Resident Sentiment surveys in the coming months to continue to gather input and feedback on a variety of topics related to the future of tourism in Dare County and the LRTMP, and to establish a baseline for the tracking of such sentiment as we move forward.

The next LRTMP Special Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 10 at 9:00 a.m..

OBVB Participates in Destination Forward Study; LRTMP Spotlighted in the Report

The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau is one of 35 U.S. destinations to participate in the largest national study of its kind—Destination Forward—examining how domestic destination stewardship and management plans align with key sustainability themes and influence tourism policy and practice. The industry publication was published on June 25 by the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies in collaboration with the Coraggio Group. The study incorporated direct input from 31 destination organization leaders to better understand their motivations, experiences and lessons learned and includes a gallery of good practices that highlight exemplary initiatives from the plans that demonstrate stewardship principles in action. The creation of the Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee for the LRTMP and the development of The Outer Banks Promise destination pledge was spotlighted.

Explore "The Voluntourism Experience" Video Series

As the Visitors Bureau continues its work to connect visitors with the amazing nonprofits in our community, you're invited to explore the first six episodes of "The Voluntourism Experience." Join host Caleb Olewabi as he spends time with several local organizations and shares how visitors can turn a great vacation into a life-changing experience.

Outer Banks Tourism News & Notes

LRTMP the Focus of June Lecture Series at CSI

On June 17, OBVB Executive Director Lee Nettles and Community Engagement Manager Jeff Schwartzenberg shared updates on the Outer Banks LRTMP and insights on balancing tourism's positive and negative impacts on the community at the Coastal Studies Institute's 'Science on the Sound' Lecture Series.

OBVB's Responsible Tourism Efforts Discussed on Podcast

Town of Duck PIO Kay Nickens recently sat down with OBVB staff to discuss responsible tourism, updates on the LRTMP, The Outer Banks Promise destination pledge, the latest with the Bureau’s voluntourism initiative and ways visitors and residents can help protect and preserve the Outer Banks for generations to come.

OBVB Hosts First 'Promise for the Park' Beach Cleanup

As part of a commitment to destination stewardship, the Visitors Bureau has adopted Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beach Access Ramp 1 and recently hosted its first 'Promise for the Park' volunteer beach cleanup on June 3, with several staff, board and committee members and community volunteers participating.

The Outer Banks Promise: Marking One Year of Inspiring Responsibility and Stewardship

We thank the following local businesses and organizations who collectively made The Outer Banks Promise in recent weeks—Dare County Schools, Duck Surf Rescue, Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue, Kitty Hawk Ocean Rescue, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Ramada Plaza Oceanfront, Secotan Alliance and VisitOBX.com properties: Blue Heron Motel, Colonial Inn, Hatteras Island Inn, Heart of Manteo Motor Lodge, Mariner Inn and Suites, Outer Banks Motor Lodge, Scarborough Inn, Seahorse Inn and Cottages—as well as the nearly 40 groups who have made The Promise in the first year since it launched last June. If your business or group is interested in highlighting your commitment to enhancing stewardship efforts on the Outer Banks, please email us at community@outerbanks.org.

July 4th Events in Support of Outer Banks NPOs and Municipalities

The Dare County Tourism Board's Fireworks Grants Program was established to financially assist governmental units and nonprofit organizations within Dare County with firework shows for Independence Day festivities. These upcoming celebrations were supported by this grant and are scheduled to take place on July 4:

- Avon Property Owners Association (Avon Pier)

- Town of Kill Devil Hills (Avalon Pier)

- Town of Manteo (Roanoke Island Festival Park)

- Town of Nags Head (Nags Head Fishing Pier)

Independence Day

at Island Farm

July 4, 2025

4 for the 4th:

4-Mile & Family Run

July 4, 2025

Town of Duck 4th of July Parade & Celebration

July 4, 2025

DCTB Grants in Action: 'Pathways to Your Parks'

On June 12, a ribbon cutting ceremony marked the completion of the 'Pathways to Your National Parks' project at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This new 1.25-mile pathway connects the lighthouse to NC Hwy 12 and points in-between, offering park visitors a safer way to explore the area, as well as providing important infrastructure to access the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the surrounding area. Outer Banks Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the three national parks of the Outer Banks, received a $132,000 Tourism Impact Grant from the Dare County Tourism Board in 2022-23 to support this project. Photo: Outer Banks Forever

Thank you for your interest in staying connected to our work on the Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP) and our ongoing commitment to promoting responsible travel and the vibrant local community it serves. We look forward to sharing these updates on a regular basis and welcome any thoughts you have as we continue to move forward.

Best Regards,



Jeff Schwartzenberg

Community Engagement Manager

Outer Banks Visitors Bureau

schwartzenberg@outerbanks.org

252-473-7155