News and Updates

Get the latest updates, industry insights, and important announcements impacting our state's vibrant hospitality sector. Our goals is to keep you informed about  the policies, trends, and initiatives shaping North Carolina's travel and tourism landscape.

PTI gets another top 10 ranking for best small US airports

April 22, 2025

Triad Business Journal | 04.21.2025 Piedmont Triad International Airport is ranked No. 7 in the 2025 Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards for best small U.S. airports. Airports were nominated by a panel of travel writers, with the final list determined by Newsweek editors, and voted on by readers. PTI’s blurb notes it’s centrally located in North…

Sports pumped millions into Charlotte’s economy in 2024

April 14, 2025

Sports continue to boost Charlotte’s economy, with Charlotte Sports Foundation’s seven 2024 events generating $90.6 million in economic impact, per Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority data. Why it matters: Charlotte is gearing up for several major sporting events and hoping to woo even more. While some of these events are run by different entities, they all feed into the narrative Charlotte…

Fact Sheet: What NC Hospitality Leaders Need to Know About New Human Trafficking Training Regulations

April 2, 2025

Need to know: Every North Carolina hotel and short-term rental property will need to comply with new training requirements that go into effect this July. Key Information about House Bill 971 Requirements: More Information: Bottom Line: The North Carolina Hospitality Alliance is working with the North Carolina Department of Labor to craft reasonable regulations that…

North Carolina public schools could start earlier in the year under new bill

March 26, 2025

03/25/2025 | WRAL The North Carolina state Senate leader wants to give public education leaders more flexibility in starting their school year. State law currently forbids public school districts from starting class instruction before the Monday closest to Aug. 26 — but nearly a quarter of the state’s districts broke the law last year. A bill filed…

North Carolina’s fastest-growing city blows Raleigh, Charlotte out of the water

March 19, 2025

Triangle Business Journal March 17, 2025 If you’re looking for the North Carolina city where growth is on fire, you don’t need to worry about Raleigh or Charlotte. When it comes to the fastest-growing metro in the state, the coast is where you want to look. Wilmington is among the top 10 metro areas for population…

Blue Ridge Parkway visits high despite Helene. Trump officials don’t want it publicized

March 19, 2025

Asheville Citizen-Times March 11, 2025 ASHEVILLE – Despite a natural disaster, two Western North Carolina national park sites remained among the most visited in the country in 2024, though a March 5 National Park Service memo indicated the Trump administration wishes to obscure information relevant to the number of visitors. While major sections of the…

State’s fix for costly litter problem ‘not efficient or sufficient’

March 13, 2025

Coastal Review Online March 13th, 2025 The cleanup of more than 7,000 tons of litter in North Carolina cost state agencies, local governments and nonprofits more than $56 million in 2023, according to a new report. Those figures highlighted in “The Cost of Litter in North Carolina,” a 14-page report created through a collaboration of…

‘No tax on tips’ bill gains momentum, bipartisan support in NC House

March 13, 2025

WRAL News- March 11th, 20225 A bill to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay and some bonus pay advanced in a state legislative committee Tuesday despite a lack of details on how it might be abused, or how much it could cost the state in lost revenue. The idea not to tax tips was one…

Lenovo Center revamp features swank seats, spiffy bar for Canes fans (Gallery)

March 5, 2025

Triangle Business Journal 03.03.2025 A dramatic reimagining of the Lenovo Center in Raleigh and space around it begins for the next National Hockey League season, with new premium experiences along the ice a part of the changes ahead. The ice level, what team officials call the “Event Level,” will add five to seven bunker suites next year, generally accommodating…