Bolstered by a strong year in 2013 for tourism activity, officials are hoping their new marketing plan helps keep the momentum going.

The Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) recently announced its branding  theme for the 2014-15 fiscal year of “See where the water takes you” to highlight the draw of four areas: Wilmington’s historic river district, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.

Ads for the campaign spotlight both beach and city attributes for visitors.

CVB officials also say they plan to focus this year as an organization on the themes of evolve and collaborate.

The way visitors obtain information is ever-changing, officials say, and strategies must evolve with them. In addition, collaboration with stakeholders bolsters new marketing strategies.

Tourism spending in the area grew last year, officials said when announcing their upcoming plans.
“I am pleased to report that 2013 was another record-setting year for tourism in New Hanover County,” said Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority, which does business as the CVB.

According to the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development’s data, New Hanover County saw a 3.8 percent increase last fiscal year over 2012, signifying a nearly $477.7 million impact. That translated into 5,460 jobs and a payroll of about $105.4 million.

Hufham pointed to the fact that New Hanover County moved up one position to rank No. 8 among North Carolina’s 100 counties in tourism expenditure receipts.

The CVB also reported that room occupancy tax (ROT) collections were up by about 7 percent in the past fiscal year. The more than $9.4 million in collections set a benchmark for the third year in a row.

Digital access far outranks print for visitor searches, officials said, with 62 percent of inquiries coming in online and 9 percent in print last fiscal year. Those numbers are compared to 57 and 14 percent, respectively, for fiscal year 2012-13.

While June through August remain the busiest months for tourism, efforts to increase off-season traffic will be targeted, officials said. Weekend visitors from Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville and other in-state locations are more likely to make last-minute decisions about coming to the area based on weather. The top three states of origin for visitors to the area are North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Last year TripAdvisor, Instagram and Social Moments accounts were added to the repertoire, as well as global mapping and location-based systems. This year, a new travel app and expanded social media engagement, including hashtag campaigns are in the mix. Cloud-based viewing across a variety of devices are expected to promote easier access to CVB information. 

The moves are targeting trends, officials said.

Leisure travelers are getting younger, more affluent and more likely to be female. Millennials are an increasing force in the travel industry, and they are more interested in urban travel than in resorts, more likely to follow interests and travel with friends, according to industry studies.
Seniors, however, are still the most affluent group of travelers and prefer quieter locations, officials said.

Legislative issues that could impact travel include the school-year calendar, rent by owner taxation, beach nourishment and inlet dredging and impact of film incentive changes, according to officials.
New facilities to house visitors include a Courtyard Marriott, completed in 2014 while five other hotel projects are in progress: Hampton Inn, Carolina Beach; SpringHill Suites, Ashes Drive; Embassy Suites, Convention Center Drive; Indigo Hotel, Nutt Street; and Holiday Inn Express, Grace Street.

Americans used only 10 of their 14 days of vacation last year, on average, according to the CVB’s tourism report, so convincing them to travel is foremost for the group.

Marketing for the group this year targets the three phases in the path consumers follow toward travel: dreaming, planning and experiencing.

The new brand platform “See where the water takes you” focuses on the historic town, plus the river and beaches. Ads depict such combinations as “beaches+night life,” “beaches+river cruising” and “city+nature’s playground.”

In addition to the media strategies, content marketing by telling stories about the area, billboards in Charlotte and the Triad areas and direct mail were added to the list this year for projects.

Engaging businesses in the #sharetheWilm campaign last year was encouraging, officials said, so that will be expanded. The CVB plans to work with organizations to introduce a new navigation app, helping visitors and residents find places in the area.

Several partnerships also are in the works. Collaboration with the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County is designed to provide visuals. And a microsite WilmingtonCivilWar150.com will promote the 150th anniversary of the Second Battle of Fort Fisher and end of the Civil War in conjunction with the Wilmington Civil War 150 Coalition.