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- RECAP: HOLIDAY LUNCHEON AT THE WILSON CENTER
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- UPCOMING EVENTS: LUNCHEONS AND NETWORKING
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- LAST CHANCE TO SAVE $50
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- SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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- WILMINGTON AND BEACHES CVB
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- FIRST IN FREEDOM FESTIVAL
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- THE STATE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
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RECAP HOLIDAY LUNCHEON AT THE WILSON CENTER
Our thanks to Rhonda Bellamy (The Arts Council of Wilmington/NHC) for, once again, coordinating our annual holiday luncheon event! Special thanks to Zack Pluer for hosting us at the Wilson Center and Ray Kennedy’s Opera House Theater performers for entertaining us with holiday musical performances. We all look forward to this annual celebration (and Zack has already agreed to our use of the facilities for December 2026 ! ! )
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We were pleased to be able to make the holiday season more meaningful by supporting the efforts of “A Safe Place” in Wilmington, an organization that supports survivors and those vulnerable to sex-trafficking and exploitation. Tickets to win raffle baskets were exchanged for donations of coats and household essentials.
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Thank you to all of the hotels (who provided vouchers for overnight stays, gift items or both) area restaurants who provided gift cards , UNCW Athletics, who provided game tickets and more; The Wilson Center for theater tickets and other contributors; your generosity enabled WAHA to support a very important organization in our area.
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Several members asked about “training” to have greater awareness of the problem of sex-trafficking with regard to accommodations; kindly reach out to Kari Parker at [email protected] for further information.
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UPCOMING EVENTS : LUNCHEONS AND NETWORKING
- February 18 Luncheon at The Ella. Barbi Baker, Manager of Operations and Communications, will be our presenter. The NEW Cape Fear Museum of History and Science will open this summer on Grace Street in Downtown Wilmington. This new venue will elevate Wilmington’s “destination experience” with the inclusion of “state of the art” exhibits, a 60-seat planetarium, immersive galleries on local history, hands-on science exhibits, kid’s play area and more.
- March 18 Networking event, location TBD
- April 15 Luncheon will feature presenter Dr. Mouchcine Guettabi on the “Economics of the Hospitality Industry”
Additional presenters scheduled for 2026 include Amanda Baker, Director of Partner and Industry Relations for Visit NC and Allen Thomas, President and CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. Stay tuned for more!
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LAST CHANCE TO SAVE $50
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January 31 is the last day we will accept annual membership dues for $100!
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
We continue to offer sponsorship opportunities for our luncheon and networking events.
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If you are a venue that offers food service, your business can sponsor our luncheon by providing a complimentary luncheon service .
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Sponsorship is also available to any business that offers services to the hospitality industry for a fee of $1000 ( covering luncheon costs ) A fee of $500 sponsors a networking event.
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Sponsors are featured in our invitations to 200+ subscribers, in our newsletter and will also be provided with the opportunity to present their product offering at our luncheon or networking event.
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WILMINGTON AND BEACHES CVB
Reminder: If you are doing any events or, perhaps offering special overnight packages connected to America 250, please send to [email protected] (as well as to NCDNCR and NCFIFF ) to be included on their websites . Please reach out if you have any questions regarding these promotional opportunities. No doubt Wilmington and Beaches, the state (NCDCR) and First in Freedom Festival (NCFIFF) will be places that visitors will go who are looking to experience America 250 in our area in 2026.
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This online guide is similar to what travelers will be seeing this year. The information was most likely gleaned from the aforementioned websites.
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FEAST WILMINGTON
Feast Wilmington will celebrate its 3rd annual food and drinks festival March 28-29 at Live Oak Pavilion. Feast is happy to add your property to its hotel page if you create a special rate for Feast Weekend. Additionally, if you are interested in sponsoring the event or hosting travel writers or influencers during the event, please contact festival director Jessica Maurer at [email protected] for details.
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FIRST IN FREEDOM FESTIVAL
Flying Machine Brewery is currently packaging their proprietary “First in Freedom Battlefield Porter, ” a new take on a classic style that was commonly found in the time of the Revolutionary War. This product is now available to Wilmington businesses (based on limited availability). This product is currently being held for WAHA members prior to being released publicly soon. If you want to be able to offer at your property, contact [email protected]
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Additionally, several Wilmington Hotels offering discounts to visitors will be included in the First in Freedom passport booklets distributed to visitors arriving at historic sites in the area.
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VISIT NC
The 2026 NC Travel Guide is now available in print and online.
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The Visit NC Tourism Conference will be held on Monday, March 16-18 in Asheville at the Omni Grove Park Inn . Conference registration is $525 through March 12 . For lodging at the Omni Grove Park Inn, the reservation cut-off date is February 10, based on availability. Learn more about the conference here.
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THE STATE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
Brand USA continues to expand its promotion of America the Beautiful , showcasing the entirely of America’s destinations and destination attractions . This emphasis is purposeful; it will increase interest in travel to lesser-known destinations across the country.
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As a way of highlighting the diversity of destinations around the country the U.S. Travel Association has partnered with the Great American Road Trip The goal is to encourage domestic and leisure travelers to visit multiple destinations around the U.S. on extended road trips .
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Skift reported on some Megatrends. Despite a downtown in arrivals from some international markets, major sports and other events are expected to drive an uptick this year, Noting that “live tourism events”, e.g., live entertainment, draws people, the challenge is to entice them to “stay overnight” and experience a destination overall.
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A Sports magazine featured a story on youth and amateur sports tourism , noting the economic benefit that results from this market, something we enjoy in Wilmington as well.
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Finally, there are emerging trends for 2026 reported by Kayak (and featured in Lodging magazine) that are applicable to our area, certainly our beach communities lend themselves to the “wellness” theme and the desire for “small towns” over large urban destinations favor Downtown Wilmington!
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