Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau

The U.S. Travel Association joined U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, GRCVB and local business leaders for a “#TravelWorks for America” Power Hour at the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority offices last week on Oct. 24. The discussion focused on travel’s essential contributions to the region’s businesses, workforce and economy—tourism plays a vital role in Raleigh and Wake County’s economy, with visitors spending over $3.2 billion, generating $307 million in tax revenue and supporting 25,796 jobs in 2023. The Power Hour agenda included critical topics to the travel industry, such as:  • preparing for the upcoming decade of major sporting events; • the need to lower wait times for first-time visitor visa applicants, currently facing 260+ day wait times, on average, in key inbound markets; • reducing wait times for travelers at U.S. Customs at gateway airports; • the need to permanently expand the H-2B worker visa program, which provides temporary workers to support small and seasonal business; • and airport funding for non-airline-hub airports in high-growth markets. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eCV8zxkT

Big news! Today, the NCAA announced the future championship host sites spanning academic years 2026-27 and 2027-28. Raleigh will host its first-ever NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Regional in 2028, and Cary will host six national championship events across three sports. North Carolina State University will host the following championships: • 2027 Division I Women’s Gymnastics Regional at Reynolds Coliseum • 2028 Division I Men’s Basketball Regional at Lenovo Center Town of Cary will host the following national championships: • 2026 and 2027 Division I Women’s Soccer College Cups at WakeMed Soccer Park (host: UNC) • 2026 and 2027 Division I Men’s Soccer College Cups at WakeMed Soccer Park (host: UNC) • 2027 and 2028 Division II Baseball World Series at USA Baseball National Training Complex (host: UMO) Read more below!

GRCVB was recognized in the 2024 Best of Meetings Today Awards in the Best South CVBs/DMOs category! 🏆   Winners were selected by Meetings Today’s audience and reviewed by its content team. Raleigh, N.C., stood out for its “unique blend of big-city amenities with small-town charm” and its strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, creating a welcoming and rewarding destination. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eSgmYs64

We're celebrating four anniversaries at GRCVB this month! Congratulations to Paula, Amber, Austin and Derek 🎉

Supplies for Western N.C.: A great way our local hospitality industry and partners can help our friends in Western N.C. is through the N.C. Travel Industry Association's (NCTIA's) current initiative... NCTIA board member and Wilkesboro Tourism Development Authority director Thomas Salley is on the front line, coordinating a staging area in Wilkes County and personally making deliveries along with others from his community. They are reaching areas in Western N.C. that are all but cutoff from supplies. The needs right now are basic: water, nonperishable food and cleaning supplies. The NCTIA has committed to supplying hygiene products to areas where access to these basic supplies is not available. (Typically, NCTIA sources the products from local hotels, stores or any means possible.) Raleigh area hospitality partners may consider donating toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and other hygiene products to aid in the recovery process. The roads to Wilkesboro are clear, so shipping is not a problem. Please send donations to: Luke Jarvis Wilkes Youth Life Development 711 Main St. N. Wilkesboro, NC 28659 (336.927.3581 for any questions)

Last chance to reach visitors in our 2025 Visitors Guide! Time is running out to get involved in one of our most targeted and highly-used advertising opportunities each year. GRCVB's Official Visitors Guide to Raleigh, Cary and Wake County is circulated as an inspirational handbook to prospective and confirmed travelers to our destination. Partners have until Sept. 20, 2024.

We’ve moved! The GRCVB and GRSA offices are now located inside the Truist building (Two Hannover Square) in downtown Raleigh. Please update our address in your records to: 434 Fayetteville St., Ste. 2600 Raleigh, NC 27601-1789 We look forward to seeing you at our new offices soon!

We need your help! If you're a Wake County resident, worker or even "consumer" of our county's events/everyday culture, please stop for a moment and help us plan wisely by completing the Wake County Cultural Plan Community Survey sometime this month: https://lnkd.in/eVSC8Aga

This month we're celebrating four anniversaries at GRCVB! Congratulations to Jason, Andrew, Stephen and Loretta 🎉

Congratulations again to the winners of our GRCVB annual awards, presented at our 2024 Annual Meeting last Thursday! To our award winners: Thank you so much again for your contributions to Raleigh, Cary and Wake County and for helping make this such a wonderful destination. Pictured (in order below): North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences division head, paleontology, Dr. Lindsay Zanno's Thad Eure Jr. Memorial Award being accepted by her husband Dr. Terry Gates and their children. (Dr. Zanno's vision and passion to execute the new Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit has helped build awareness of the museum and Raleigh, N.C., worldwide, setting the stage to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.) John B. Ross Jr. Leadership Award winners Lindsay Wrege and Michael Evans, founders of 321 Coffee. (Their mission has opened more doors for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to find quality jobs, and they are shining leaders in efforts to make Wake County’s hospitality industry even more inclusive.) Horizon Award winner Rachel Rice, senior special events planner, Red Hat Amphitheater, City of Raleigh. (Rachel is an exceptional leader in the hospitality industry in her role at Red Hat Amphitheater and continues to be an active ally in the continued success of the destination.) Isaac Hunter Excellence in Service Award winner Pam Pukpitakchat, AM Herons server, The Umstead Hotel and Spa. (Pam was recognized for her outstanding service to visitors, as well as being an excellent representative of the destination.) Photography: David Kuhn