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February Issue 2005
New Craft & Tourism Marketing Blitz to Draw More Visitors to NC
With an eye
to becoming the nation's most popular craft destination, North
Carolina craft and tourism industries are kicking off their first-ever
joint marketing effort to connect Southeastern travelers with
craft events across North Carolina.
North Carolina is already one of the nation's top three craft
destinations, with more than 6,100 craft artisans generating some
$538 million in revenue each year. And the Tar Heel state is one
of the Top 10 states for cultural and heritage tourism, according
to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA) and Smithsonian
magazine.
Building on that position, the new year-long craft-tourism marketing
effort will promote North Carolina as a cultural tourism destination,
and is conducted by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake
County and the NC Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus
(NCACVB), with underwriting from the NC Arts Council.
Cultural tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry, up 13 percent between 1996 and 2002, according to the TIAA. Cultural travelers spend more money and more time than other travelers, and are eager for authentic experiences at the places they visit. On average, they schedule five cultural activities per trip.
The new partnership
is part of the 2004-05 Celebration of North Carolina Craft, as
proclaimed by North Carolina's Governor Michael F. Easley. The
Celebration showcases North Carolina's craft artists and products
in new ways, including featuring craft on the newest state highway
map. The Celebration of North Carolina Craft is sponsored
by the NC Craft Coalition, comprising 19 craft organizations from
the mountains to the coast working together to promote North Carolina
as a cultural tourism destination. The NC Arts Council supports
the Craft Coalition.
The new partnership is also designed to strengthen connections
between local tourism agencies and local arts councils and area
craft guilds. Special focus will be put on building local
economies, especially in rural areas. Activities planned
for 2005 include:
· Advertising promoting North Carolina craft in high-profile newspapers and magazines in the Southeast
· Online and newsletter communications with travelers, including the 300,000 members of AAA Carolinas and 350 AAA offices in the Southeast and Midwest
· Public service announcements produced by Time Warner Cable to air on North Carolina cable channels
· Local arts and tourism organizations working together to create craft travel tourism packages and itineraries
· A spring 2005 media event for travel writers in New York, highlighting craft
· Linking craft and tourism Web sites, including links to (www.DiscoverCraftNC.org), which directs visitors to craft-based organizations (including museums, galleries, schools and art centers).
"This
is a win-win partnership," said Kelly Miller, President of
NCAVB and the head of Asheville's Convention and Visitor's Bureau. "People
who are making vacation and getaway travel plans want to know
about craft galleries, studios, exhibits, festivals and other
craft events in North Carolina. Combining our efforts will let
us provide potential tourists with the kind of travel information
they want, and will increase travel and tourism activity acrossNorth
Carolina."
The NCACVB comprises North Carolina's 36 destination marketing
organizations, non-profits that are dedicated to promoting travel,
tourism and conventions in North Carolina. Their combined budget
exceeds $35 million, and is largely focused on attracting vacationers
and other leisure travelers to North Carolina.
"North Carolina craft is an important cornerstone of our
state's travel and tourism industry, so this partnership will
build our craft community, our tourism industry and our state's
economy," said Mary B. Regan, Executive Director of the NC
Arts Council.
For further info contact Rachel Perry at the NC Craft Coalition at 828/275-3133, e-mail at (rachelperry@charter.net) or Vince Chelena at the NC Assn. of Convention & Visitors Bureaus at 704/333-8445, e-mail (vince@themanagementoffice.com).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.