North Carolina Premieres Golf.VisitNC.com

RALEIGH, NC (May 13, 2008) – The North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development today unveiled a new half-million dollar marketing program for golf. The approach revolutionizes the way North Carolina promotes golf to travelers. The program features a new website, Golf.VisitNC.com, devoted entirely to marketing North Carolina golf built around cooperative marketing programs for destinations throughout the state.

“Research indicates the Internet and destination websites specifically are among the top travel planning tolls for golfers. Travel Industry Association (TIA) and Golf Digest’s 2008 Travel and Destination Study reported 73 percent of golfers actively use the Internet and destination websites as top sources of information,” says Lynn Minges, Executive Director of the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. “We are dedicating as many resources as possible to go where the golf travelers are INCREASINGLY looking for their information.”

The new Golf.VisitNC.com website is structured around the backbone of comprehensive database the Division currently has in VisitNC.com; the new site builds from that database, allowing the traveler to search for and compare golf courses; it’s also much easier to find compelling golf travel content.

The new site offers a course finder, distinctive golf experiences and enhanced, colorful maps to assist golf travelers in planning their trip to North Carolina.

Visitors to the site will also find:

•    More than 400 course listings

•    Special golf travel packages and seasonal offers from across the state

•    Mountain, piedmont and coastal courses—searchable by region, city and rating

•    Accommodations and dining listings in proximity to courses

•    Golf destinations offering activities for the entire family

•    Girls golf getaways

•    Courses that have hosted national championships

•    Top-rated courses ranked by Golf Digest

“This site is designed to draw both the seasoned and the NEW golf traveler to our state,” Minges says. “We’re targeting travelers’ needs by packaging information for those interested in golf, whether the need is a women’s getaway or a family trip. Visitors from all over the country travel to our state for its strong golf tradition, the natural scenic beauty of our courses, and our national reputation as a fine host of championship events. We want to make it easier for them to plan their trip.”

North Carolina is known as a national golf destination:

•    Pinehurst has hosted the North & South Amateur Championship since 1901, the longest-running amateur championship in the nation.

•    Pinehurst No. 2 has hosted two U.S. Men’s Opens; in 2014, the Open returns. The course will also host the 2008 U. S. Amateur Championship.

•    Pine Needles hosted three U.S. Women’s Opens, the last in 2007.

•    On the PGA Tour, the state hosts the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte and Wyndham Championship in Greensboro.

•    On the Champions Tour, The Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn in Conover is a favorite stop; the SAS Championship in Cary earns high approval, too.

•    On the Nationwide Tour, the BMW Charity Pro-Am has recently added Bright’s Creek Golf Club in Mill Spring. The Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh is also on the tour.

In addition to the website, the Division continues to market golf utilizing a broad range of tools including public relations, familiarization tours for domestic and international golf tour operators and golf travel writers, paid advertising, consumer shows and more.

Public relations programs by the Division include hosting Golf Scene TV, a regional cable TV program from Philadelphia, as well as annual golf press trips and press releases on golf news from around the state.

One unique marketing tool the Division developed is a partnership with PGA Germany. This two-year sponsorship as the exclusive destination partner allows the Division to bring golf professionals from Germany to North Carolina and gain coverage in the PGA Germany e-newsletter.

The Division is currently running radio commercials promoting Golf.VisitNC.com in key markets including the Washington, D.C., Richmond and Norfolk/Tidewater metro markets. Plus, a golf radio media tour will promote the new site in additional markets.

For more information, visit Golf.VisitNC.com or call 1-800-VISIT NC to plan your next golf getaway.

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