New Hanover County tourism officials are expecting a strong 2019 summer travel season. With the high-season approaching, the county’s post-Florence recovery has already delivered a healthy tourism-related spring.  Marketing efforts by the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), coupled with mended tourist attractions, are behind the sum ...

A new dock will give Battleship North Carolina visitors a fresh angle to experience the World War II vessel, moored at 1 Battleship Road.   The Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant dock and kayak launch provide the opportunity to explore the marine environment surrounding the battleship’s mooring basin, officials said in a news release. Featuring shore-si ...

A replica of one of Christopher Columbus’ historic ships is now moored in downtown Wilmington.   Modeled after the Santa Maria, the Nao Santa Maria is on display at Port City Marina, 10 Harnett St., through May 19. The Santa Maria was among the three ships Columbus used in 1492.   The replica set sail in 2017 to mark the 525th anniversary of Columbus&rs ...

The Wilmington Area Hospitality Association (WAHA) kicked off its annual membership drive May 15 at an event at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront.   The organization includes members from the area’s tourism industry and holds bimonthly meetings “at various event venues, accommodations, restaurants and attractions in the area as well as e ...

With summer on the horizon, the Port City’s leading outdoor venues prepare for another season of events underneath the coastal sun. Locals and tourists alike are familiar with the scene – fireworks at nightfall, stadiums full of cheers, music by the water and cold beers aplenty.   Outdoor venues provide spaces to let the good times roll, but is the money ...

A strong 2019 summer tourism season awaits the Wilmington region and, with a new marketing initiative, CVB hopes to attract more visitors during the off-season and establish the area as more than just a beach destination. That was the main message shared Friday at the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (CVB) sixth annual Travel Rally Breakfast ...

Business owners, the New Hanover County hospitality industry and elected officials will gather Friday at the Wilmington Convention Center to discuss how tourism impacts the community and include updates on hurricane recovery and strategic plans. The sixth annual Travel Rally Breakfast, hosted by the Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), includes a ...

While Hurricane Florence temporarily shuttered two Wrightsville Beach landmark hotels, along with numerous vacation rentals, the hemorrhage on the town’s room occupancy tax loss has seemingly reached an end.   Closed from damages following the September storm, Shell Island Resort, 2700 N. Lumina Ave., reopened last month, and historic Blockade Runner Beach Res ...

The Wilmington region will continue to be one of the top 10 tourist destinations in the state despite Hurricane Florence, said Wit Tuttell, director of Visit North Carolina, during the Visit NC 365 Conference Tuesday in Wilmington. “We started doing research every two months, we polled visitors nationwide and asked them about it and we saw that at first there was ...

The eastern North Carolina lodging market has been performing better than the rest of the state over the past 12 months when it comes to room demand growth, revenue and average rental income per occupied room, according to officials who spoke Monday at the Visit North Carolina 365 Conference in Wilmington.  "We really have North Carolina East winning with 8.9 ...