First in Tourism: An Inside Look at North Carolina’s $36 Billion Tourism Sector
06.10.2025 | TRC Nexus Thank you for joining us this Saturday morning in early June – the time of year North Carolina’s peak tourism season is about to get into full swing. North Carolina consistently ranks among the best places to do business in the country. But we also rank among the top-five most-visited states, clocking…
Plans for Omni Hotel downtown take key step forward
Triangle Business Journal | 05.19.2025 Plans are progressing toward the construction of the amenity-heavy Omni Hotel in Downtown Raleigh. Dallas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts filed site plans on May 7 for the 27-story, 553-key hotel at 10 W. South St. across from the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. The plans name Brady Nix, director…
1.3 million North Carolinians to travel for Memorial Day, expected to break 20-year record, AAA reports
WNCN | 05/15/2025 RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – It’s set to be another record-breaking year for Memorial Day travel in the Carolinas. AAA predicts 1.3 million North Carolinians will travel at least 50 miles for Memorial Day this year, which marks an increase of nearly 50,000 compared to 2024. Nationwide, 45.1 million people are estimated to…
As tourism season gets hot, Western NC hopes it won’t be a cruel summer
Carolina Public Press | 05/12/2025 Summer tourism in Western North Carolina — hiking, fishing, driving up scenic mountain roads — is a perfect respite for many from the hot southern season. But those idyllic mountain scenes are competing in the public’s mind with images of Tropical Storm Helene’s aftermath: death, devastation and destruction. And for…
PTI gets another top 10 ranking for best small US airports
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…
Fact Sheet: What NC Hospitality Leaders Need to Know About New Human Trafficking Training Regulations
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
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
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
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…