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FEBRUARY 18 LUNCHEON AT THE ELIA
Thank you to The Elia, a downtown wedding venue, for providing us with the venue for our February luncheon. Barbi Baker, Manager of Operations and Communications at the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, provided an overview of what will be a brand-new, world- class museum located in downtown Wilmington. We can expect this museum to add to the overall appeal to visitors, choosing Wilmington as a "must-visit" destination in our state and in the Southeastern U.S. Stay tuned for announcement of the opening date this summer!!
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Be sure to plug the dates of our upcoming meetings in your calendar!
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- April 15: Dr. Mouchine Guettabi will be our presenter at our luncheon at the Aloft Hotel at the Coastline Center. Wilmington continues to increase in awareness as a visitor destination. FEAST Wilmington and the Azalea Festival were recognized as major events in USA Today and Wilmington's 10-year Tourism Master Plan will result in even greater interest. New accommodation and culinary offerings as well a brand new museum downtown, will drive immediate uptake. What impact does this have on our area? What does current and future employment in the hospitality industry look like going forward? Reserve Now.
- May 20: Networking event at the ELEMENT hotel in Mayfaire from 4:30-6:30. Complimentary bites and cash bar. Bring a friend; non-members welcome.
- June 17: Luncheon Presenter: Jeff Bourke, General Manager of Wilmington International Airport. Deemed the "fastest growing airport in the state", ILM continues to offer more direct flights to access an increasing number of destinations. Conversely, this opens the door to even greater visitors from those destinations.
Future Luncheon presenters will include Amanda Baker, Director of Partner & Visitor Industry Relations and Allen Thomas the new CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA). If anyone has a topic or issue they would like to see addressed by ANY presenters, kindly email [email protected]
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If your venue would like to host a WAHA Luncheon or Networking Event; please let us know.
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WILMINGTON CVB
FEAST Wilmington and the Azalea Festival were listed in the "top ten" events for a City Food Festival and Flower Festival, respectively in USA Today. This national notoriety will continue to drive greater visitor interest in our area.
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North Carolina has several sites among the nominations for 10 Best's Readers' Choice Awards categories for “Best public spaces.” Online voting by readers is now open via USAToday.com; click on the hyperlink to vote. Voting ends at noon on April 6.
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Southern Living has released its “South's Best 2025” awards, the results of its tenth annual readers’ survey. For Cities & Towns, among the South’s Best Cities are Asheville at #3, Wilmington #7 and Charlotte #18.
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AMERICA 250 will appeal to travelers who are interested in history and can combine a visit to an area that offers a selection of sites and stories covering every period of American history. Select hotels offer discounts for guests that can combine visits to historical sites with "beach times" and family entertainment.
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The March 20 edition of People included an article featuring comparable outfits to what TV characters wore in "The Summer I Turned Pretty,", "One Tree Hill" and "Dawson's Creek", all filmed in our area! Several Wilmington sites were mentioned including Oceanic Restaurant, Arrive Wilmington, Airlie Gardens, and the Wilmington Riverwalk. Read the full article here.
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Save the Date for Wilmington and Beaches 2026 Travel Rally!
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* NEW LOCATION * Cameron Arts Museum
May 6 • 8:30am
More details to come!
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VISIT NORTH CAROLINA
Visit NC’s 2026-'27 partner co-op marketing program was unveiled, with a wide variety of opportunities in print, digital and social media, partnerships and pricing, including new offerings. Find out more about Visit NC’s Partner Programs at https://www.visitnc.com/industry/partner-programs.
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THE STATE OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
Unsurprisingly there are travel alerts for potential travelers to the Middle East. This, in addition to the current issue regarding non-payment of wages to TSA workers, The U.S. Travel Association continues to focus on how this affects the entire travel market, with the potential of dissuading travelers making travel plans. Overall indicators are that as international outbound travel weakens, domestic travel remains stable. It appears that reservation lead times continue to shrink; tips are provided to overcome this issue.
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