Tourism is on the menu at a local hospitality's luncheon meeting Wednesday.

The Wilmington Area Hospitality Association (WAHA) is hosting Heidi Walters, the senior director of partner and industry relations for Visit NC. The WAHA luncheon, which requires reservations, begins at 11:30 a.m. at Bluewater Waterfront Grill, 4 Marina St. in Wrightsville Beach.

"This presentation is particularly timely given North Carolina's recent achievement of becoming the fifth largest state in the nation for visitor numbers, following California, New York, Florida and Texas," said Jean Guinup, president of WAHA's board, in an email Tuesday. "This is a remarkable accomplishment that highlights the effectiveness of Visit NC’s strategic outreach under the leadership of Executive Director Wit Tuttell."

At the WAHA event, Walters is expected to share research into how North Carolina achieved the No. 5 ranking.

"Knowing how Visit NC operates is crucial for our local hospitality industry; they offer exposure and co-op programs that can benefit hotels, attractions, restaurants and other businesses that cater to visitors," Guinup said. 

WAHA engages 170 subscribers through its newsletter and invitations for luncheons and other events.

"We are in the process of expanding our membership which presently stands at 50. As the sole membership organization representing the greater Wilmington area, our goal is to amplify the voice of the local hospitality industry," Guinup said. "We regularly invite speakers whose expertise benefits our members; we also support the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in promoting our destination."