Steeped in a history tied to the sea, Carteret County is ready to set sail toward a new destiny characterized by international trade and a booming tourism industry.
Worried that neighboring states are doing a better job of attracting tourists, North Carolina's tourism industry marshals its forces behind legislative initiatives and a new marketing scheme.
Expectations were high that a booming travel and tourism industry on the coast would result from the completion of the final link of I-40 last year, but experience to date is tempering that euphoria.
Memorial Day marks the rush of tourists to the North Carolina coast. Statistics and profiles of the average North Carolina coastal tourist are provided.
The state's travel and tourism industry has witnessed noticeable gains from new ads airing nationally and in Canada on cable TV channels. Greater coordination between the state and local authorities also is paying off.
Western North Carolina relies a great deal on tourism to provide jobs and economic activity for the region. Now, representatives of the region are asking the state to place the same emphasis on tourism as on manufacturing when allocating funds for each.
With tourism generating revenues between seven and eight billion dollars each year, the 1994 General Assembly earmarked $5 million to promote the state overseas, especially in England and Germany, and to attract travelers who are just passing through.
A lack of usable land to develop, high unemployment, and inadequate infrastructure often lead the state's coastal and mountain counties to depend highly on tourism for revenues, while at the same time seeking other ways to enlarge their economic base.
Established in 1963, the Institute of Outdoor Drama at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows communities how to attract tourists through local history dramatizations.
Tourism is the state's second largest industry, and for years certain sections favored by history and geography got most tourist dollars. Today, creative marketing strategies and internet pages enable even the most rural counties to draw tourists.
Heritage tourism, or visiting an area for cultural enrichment, is growing six times faster than regular tourism. To handle this growth, the state has set up a non-profit organization, North Carolina Heritage, Inc.
Heritage tourism, or visiting an area for cultural enrichment, has been flourishing in the western counties since the 1920s. Promoting a small community's culture is seen as a way to retain their young people, create jobs, and preserve traditions.