Greetings!

Welcome to a Special Edition Industry Update in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW). While it may seem odd to celebrate travel and tourism during a time when travel is temporarily paused, National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3-9, 2020) actually means more this year than ever. 

Businesses and workers in the travel industry have been among the first and hardest hit by the economic crisis resulting from coronavirus, further underscoring the importance of tourism in New Hanover County. It is especially important for our industry to come together and support each other during this special week. This year’s theme, the Spirit of Travel , celebrates hospitality workers and recognizes the strength and resilience of the travel industry as we look ahead to the eventual recovery from the current health and economic crisis.

A Note of Thanks to You!

There is no place quite like #WimingtonandBeaches and the CVB is grateful to each person who works in our tourism industry and hospitality community for their service and for making this such a great place to visit. Our tourism/hospitality employees embody the #SpiritOfTravel! Even while we cannot welcome visitors in person at this time, the spirit of travel and hospitality remains the enduring theme of our industry. During these challenging times, and as crisis gives way to recovery, our hospitality community’s unity, resilience, willingness to adapt, and determined spirit are worthy of celebration. This video https://vimeo.com/408956532 says it all: YOU are the #SpiritOfTravel!

Our virtual National Travel & Tourism Week celebration

This year’s local NTTW observance will look and feel different than in years past. No ribbons, no posters, no travel rally breakfast. Instead, the Wilmington and Beaches CVB is celebrating virtually by sharing videos, images, road trip ideas, interactive Bingo cards with destination experiences, and inspirational messages with our visitors via our social media channels. We have also reached out to local media to help us acknowledge and celebrate our local hospitality workforce, and to share the importance of travel and tourism to our local economy. You can read the press release here: www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/about/news-blogs/post/wilmington-and-beaches-cvb-celebrates-hospitality-industry-with-spirit-of-travel-theme/

Here are some ways that the Wilmington and Beaches CVB is celebrating National Travel & Tourism Week :

  • On May 4, NHC Commissioners adopted a Proclamation that designates May 3-9, 2020 as National Travel & Tourism Week in New Hanover County.
  • Sharing NTTW video that honors our local hospitality industry via local media. It will air this week on www.NHCTV.com and on Spectrum channels 13 and 192, and Charter channels 5 and 192. You can also watch it here: https://vimeo.com/409837993.
  • Participating in U.S. Travel’s #NTTW #VirtualRoadtrip (https://twitter.com/USTravel) on May 5 from 1pm-2pm.
  • Throughout the week (May 3-9) we will be posting NTTW #SpiritOfTravel messages via social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for Wilmington and Beaches, and for Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach:
  • Sharing U.S. Travel’s NTTW #SpiritOfTravel video; invite visitors to share favorite local spots;
  • Sharing virtual Instagram Bingo Cards (destination experiences); encouraging Followers to play;
  • Sharing “What do you love about Wilmington and Beaches” NTTW visitor video: https://vimeo.com/409837993;
  • Resharing the Virtual Roadmap/Roadtrip on Instagram Stories and repurposing for Twitter;
  • Sharing ways to thank and support our hospitality community for their service: www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com/covid-19-hospitality-resources/

Help us celebrate this week!

We hope you will join the CVB in our virtual celebration of National Travel & Tourism Week and in our efforts to honor our industry and our past and future visitors. Here’s how you can help:


Share the Importance of Travel & Tourism!

National Travel and Tourism Week is also a time to share the industry’s positive impacts on our community. Below are some helpful talking points:

In New Hanover County, travel and tourism has a significant effect on the local economy and a profound impact on the lives of the citizens of New Hanover County:

  • Travel and Tourism infuses millions of new dollars into the local economy each year that helps to fund beach nourishment, the convention center, lifeguard programs, and more.

  • Tourism contributes to economic growth by sustaining businesses in many sectors that depend upon visitor spending, including: hospitality, retail, food service, sports, arts and entertainment, and transportation, to name only a few.

  • In 2018 in New Hanover County:
  • The economic impact of tourism was estimated at $612.92 million, ranking New Hanover as #8 among North Carolina’s 100 counties in tourism expenditures.
  • Travel and tourism provided more than 6,470 jobs and supported a payroll of $149.14 million.
  • Travel and tourism generated approximately $54.27 million in state and local tax receipts, representing a $228.31 tax saving to each county resident. 

On behalf of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau, we thank you and your team for your dedication, courage, flexibility, hard work and continued support! Please feel free to share this letter with your colleagues and staff.

With Gratitude & Best Regards,

Kim Hufham
President/CEO, New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority
d.b.a. Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau
505 Nutt Street, Unit A
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: 910-332-8751


For the latest COVID-19 Updates and Archived information from the Pleasure Iskland Chamber of Commerce, please CLICK HERE
(If using a cell phone, click EVENNTS and select pertinent COVID-19 category)

1121 N. Lake Park Blvd.
Carolina Beach, NC 28428
910-458-8434
www.PleasureIslandNC.org
Greg@PleasureIslandNC.org