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Record year for Asheville tourism, new ad campaign running – Winston

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Posted: Friday, August 21, 2015 1:32 pm

Record year for Asheville tourism, new ad campaign running

Associated Press |

ASHEVILLE — It’s another one for the record books in Asheville.

Tourism officials tell local media outlets that 2014 again set records for tourism in the area.

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POLITICO Names ClearPath Founder Jay Faison to The Politico 50

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Tourism efforts make Tupelo leaders shine

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TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — The Southeast Tourism Society (STS) recognized two Tupelo leaders as shining examples of professional tourism throughout the region.

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton was named the 2015 Governmental Friend of Tourism and Kylie Boring, director of marketing for the Tupelo Convention Visitors Bureau, received the 2015 Rising Star award at the STS Shining Example Awards banquet held on Wednesday.

Shelton’s nomination noted his efforts following the April 2014 tornado, Tupelo’s fifth All-America City honor, his dedication to tourism product development and creating new events and festivals.

Boring’s list of accomplishments included helping to develop Tupelo’s new brand identity and website, expanding and managing the marketing program of work for the bureau, serving as the state representative for the Public Relations Association of Mississippi and being a board member for the Sanctuary Hospice House Junior Auxiliary Committee.

Boring is the third Tupelo CVB staffer to be named the STS Rising Star over the years. Neal McCoy received the honor in 2009 and Jennie Bradford Curlee was named in 2014.

STS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of tourism throughout Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas.

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Asheville Mayor Ignores Facts, Supports Airbnb Ban

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In the debate surrounding regulation of the burgeoning sharing economy, ride-sharing services like Uber seem to dominate the discussion. However, several other growing businesses in this sector are under attack as well.

Airbnb, an online sharing service where people can list their home or apartment to host potential short- or long-term renters, is currently under attack in Asheville, North Carolina. The city recently added an employee exclusively dedicated to enforcing a short-term rental ban, those renting for a period of less than a month, and increased the penalty for short-term renters from $100 per night to $500 per night. Both the Mayor Esther Manheimer and Vice Mayor Marc Hunt were among the 5-2 majority that voted to increase these fines at a packed City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Manheimer and Hunt’s attack on innovation seems counterintuitive given Asheville’s reputation as a tourist haven. Airbnb, as well as other home-sharing services such as HomeAway and VRBO, have skyrocketed in popularity in direct response to a demand for these kinds of short-term rentals by visitors flocking to cities of all sizes, particularly tourist destinations like Asheville.

According to the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) website, in 2014 alone Buncombe County hosted 9.8 million visitors, 3.3 million of which were overnight guests. Tourism is the third largest industry in the area, and visitors spend an average of $4.7 million in the city every day. In total, tourists generated $2.6 billion in economic impact by spending $1.7 billion at businesses that support nearly 25,000 jobs. The state and local tax revenue generated by the tourists’ economic investment saves each Asheville household $1,232. Calling the industry a “significant driver” of the city’s economy, the CVB projects that without tourism the unemployment rate would be a staggering 15.9 percent.

Furthermore, local online travel company sales quadrupled from May to June of this year according to the county tax department, which is when Airbnb began reporting its sales numbers to the department. The overall hotel and travel business only went up 8 percent during this time, so the boom cannot be attributed to a seasonal tourism boost.

Given the significant economic impact of Asheville’s thriving tourism industry, and Airbnb’s service being the clear number one choice for those visitors, it is a mystery why the City Council seems adamant in stifling short-term rentals.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Mayor gave a weak argument for the increased fine that centered on the desire to resist potential changes in the community that she alleged would result from allowing short-term rentals.

“If we get it wrong it could be like when you rent a house at the beach,” she said. “Every single house is rental. Nobody knows each other, everybody is making a mint. But what is it? It’s just a resort community. It’s not a community. It’s not a place you raise children.”

Not only is performing this type of political engineering not a part of the Mayor’s job description, the facts do not support her argument. Buncombe County has benefitted from increasing in-migration over the last 30 years. The area gained over 26,000 new residents in that time period. While tourism offers Asheville’s significant economic support, the data shows that tourists are not causing a deterioration of the “community” like Mayor Manheimer claims.

The city’s solution to punitively prevent residents and visitors from participating in short-term rental contracts is not the appropriate response to their fears about community development. Rather, the city’s leaders should be encouraging the growth of these businesses that complement their tourism industry. The Asheville City Council would best serve its residents by revisiting the issue free from unfounded economic logic.

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Prayer and faith can help save a hypocrite from himself

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Local News

Plane takes emergency landing on U.S. 301 in Manatee after engine stalls

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The Foundation for Blowing Rock, a Nonprofit, Elects Officers and Directors

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The Foundation for Blowing Rock Elects Officers and Directors

The Foundation for Blowing Rock, a nonprofit dedicated to business education and economic development in Blowing Rock, recently announced the election of the Officers and Board of Directors for the Foundation. The Foundation was created as a separate, non-profit, tax exempt entity in 2013 by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce.

Elected to serve an initial term ending in December of 2016 are the following leaders from the public and private sectors of the Blowing Rock community: John Aldridge, President and Director; Jim Clabough, Vice President and Director; Rita Davis, Secretary/Treasurer and Director; Bo Henderson, Director; Jerry Hutchens, Director; Basil Kuzyzsyn, Director (Rotary President’s position); Jim Pitts, Director; Cathy Robbins, Director (Chamber President’s position); Brenda Speckmann, Director; Jim Steele, Director; Kent Tarbutton, Director; Keith Tester, Director; J.B. Lawrence, ex officio Director (Mayor’s position); Scott Fogleman, ex officio Director (Town Manager’s position); Albert Yount, ex officio Director (Mayor Pro Tem’s position); Charles Hardin, ex officio Director (Chamber Executive Director’s position); and Tracy Brown, ex officio Director (TDA Executive Director’s position).

At its recent August 19, 2015 board meeting, the Board approved the following statement of its mission:

“The mission of The Foundation for Blowing Rock shall be to promote, implement, and support business education, solicitation and retention, and economic development in Blowing Rock, for the purposes of (i) improving the standard of living in, and economic vitality of Blowing Rock; (ii) fostering orderly, economic growth and development in Blowing Rock; and (iii) generally, lessening the burdens on local government.”

Foundation President, John Aldridge, said the Foundation was created “as a vehicle to serve long term as a reservoir for capital for Blowing Rock available for community needs such as those outlined in the 2009 HyettPalma Retail Study commissioned by the Town Council, and the 2014 Comprehensive Plan Update, adopted by the Town Council.”

Aldridge believes that, through these and other planning efforts, Blowing Rock town leadership has made certain that the community knows what it needs to do to continue improving Blowing Rock and to keep step with other nearby tourist destinations. However, to accomplish those goals, both immediate and long term, he emphasized that the community needs significant and sustainable sources of capital, and that it cannot expect town government to carry the load alone through increased taxes and fees on residents.

Scott Fogleman, Blowing Rock Town Manager and ex officio Director of the Foundation, stated that a foundation dedicated solely to the improvement of Blowing Rock is a sound idea which has the potential to impact Blowing Rock positively and to lessen the burdens on town government.

J. B. Lawrence, Blowing Rock Mayor and ex officio Director of the Foundation, indicated that he looks forward to being a part of the Foundation as it works with the town to ensure that Blowing Rock remains the premier tourist destination in western North Carolina.

For questions regarding the Foundation, to make a donation, or to offer your help and support, contact Rita Davis at 828-295-3162 or at rita.davis@firstcitizens.com.

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North Carolina news in brief

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Region Briefs

2 more communities opposed to offshore drilling

HOLDEN BEACH (AP) — Two more communities on the North Carolina coast have gone on record opposing drilling for oil and natural gas in the Atlantic Ocean.

The town councils in Holden Beach and Oak Island passed resolutions Tuesday.

Holden Beach passed a resolution opposed to both seismic testing and drilling. Oak Island went on record opposed to drilling after passing a resolution against seismic testing last year.

The advocacy group Oceana says that at least 23 communities in the state have passed similar resolutions.

Opponents say drilling could threaten the environment and the tourism industry. Supporters say offshore drilling can be done safely and will bring jobs and tax revenues to the state.

Study finds more sharks off the Southeast coast

RALEIGH (AP) — A newly released federal study shows a record number of sharks swimming off the coast from Florida to North Carolina.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reports that the increase in sharks comes as North Carolina set a record for shark attacks this summer.

Eight people have been attacked by sharks along the North Carolina coast this year, the most since a Florida group began counting attacks 80 years ago.

The new study shows researchers captured or tagged 2,835 sharks from Florida to North Carolina in April and May. That compares with 1,831 sharks tagged in the most recent survey in 2012.

The most common species were sandbar, Atlantic sharpnose, dusky and tiger sharks.

The largest captured was a 12-1/2-foot tiger shark off the North Carolina coast.

Democratic lieutenant governor candidate talks NC economy

RALEIGH (AP) — A Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor has an economic proposal he says will attract jobs to North Carolina.

Robert Wilson of Cary announced a seven-point agenda Tuesday that includes expanding the Wilmington state port, extending a rail line to the city and increasing agriculture research. He says keeping the corporate income tax at the current 5 percent would create a stable tax climate. Wilson also backs raising teacher salaries to the top 5 percent in the country by 2022.

Wilson is a former longtime state employee who spent much of his career in the Secretary of State’s office.

Other Democrats seeking the nomination include 2012 nominee Linda Coleman, Buncombe County Commissioner Holly Jones and financial services business owner Ron Newton.

Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest is seeking re-election.

Officials identify victims of North Carolina plane crash

HIGH POINT (AP) — Officials have identified the three Pennsylvania residents killed when a small plane crashed near a rock quarry in North Carolina.

Officials on Tuesday identified the victims as Mike Apfelbaum, his wife, Christy, and her father, Clarence Imgrund, all of Lewisburg, Pa.

Multiple media outlets reported that the plane came down near High Point on Monday afternoon while on a flight from Sarasota, Florida, to Greensboro.

Mike Apfelbaum was the town attorney in Sunbury, Pa.

Authorities said it appeared Mike Apfelbaum, who was flying the Beechcraft A36, became unsure of his location. He had just been told to climb to 4,000 feet to avoid some cloud cover when the crash occurred. The plane burst into flames on impact.

The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the cause of the crash.

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Va. Tourism Corp. unveils LOVE themed barn quilt in Burkes Garden

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BURKE’S GARDEN, Va. — The Virginia Tourism Corporation came to Tazewell County, Va., on Thursday to spread “LOVE,” on one of the county’s most precious resources — Burke’s Garden.

“The LOVEworks barn quilt is located just off of a Virginia Scenic Byway Route 623 that leads visitors into Burkes Garden, a high elevation mountain valley community on the National Register of Historic Places,” according to a Tazewell Department of Tourism press release.

“The LOVE barn quilt compliments a number of beautiful barn quilts that can be found in the Burkes Garden area. Round the Mountain artisans, Don and Ellen Elmes constructed and painted the barn quilt, and Bret and Kim Hall, the owners of the barn, graciously allowed for the installation.”

“We got a break in the rain for about 20 minutes, and I said, ‘Let’s do this if we’re going to do it,’ so we did it,” David Woodard, Tazewell County tourism coordinator said. “After the unveiling, we went to the Amish Store and to the Parsonage Guest House on Burke’s Garden Road for a great lunch.”

 Burkes Garden is home to an Amish community with a small country store. Outdoor enthusiasts also visit Burkes Garden to bike the beautiful farmland roadways as part of the Heart of Appalachia bike route or hike the Appalachian Trail. The Burkes Garden Fall Festival, which attracts thousands of visitors each year, will be held this year on Sept. 26.

“We are pleased to have been part of this pilot project of recognizing, in a beautifully tasteful way, a place of tourism in our state. We hope this project will be repeated in other locations to promote tourism in Virginia,” Ellen Elmes said in the press release of the project.

“We are happy that the Virginia is for Lovers LOVE themed barn quilt will greet the many visitors to the beautiful Burkes Garden area of Tazewell County,” Rita McClenny said. McClenny is president and chief executive officer of the  Virginia Tourism Corporation. “Travelers will be in for a special treat this fall, when Virginia will welcome many leaf peepers, scenic drivers, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts that come to enjoy this special time of year in our mountains.”

“This is a great first project for Tazewell County and the LoveWorks program,” Woodard said. “We are thrilled to have the very first Virginia is for Lovers Barn Quilt in the state and look forward to seeing more around the region.”

Others at the unveiling included John Absure, western district representative on the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors, Patricia Green, interim Tazewell County administrator, Woodard and Megan Brown of the Tazewell Tourism office, Joan Yates of Historic Crab Orchard Museum, Ellen and Don Elmes, Aaron Reidhammer, Bret Hall, Mike Thompson, Diana Blackburn, Irma Mitchell and Less Mitchell.

Virginia has more than 40 different LOVEworks throughout the state to greet visitors, all made possible by partnerships with localities, the private sectors, and artisans. The iconic large white LOVE letters are also available to rent for weddings.

Burke’s Garden, often referred to as “God’s Thumbprint” because of the mountain-valley’s unique geological characteristics is named for James Burke, a pioneer who planted potato peelings near a campfire in 1948, and they grew into potato plants the following your.

Burke’s Garden was one of the places that Dr. Thomas Walker visited during his circa 1750 exploration of the region when he discovered the “coal lands” of southwestern Virginia. Burke’s Garden is said to have been Vanderbilt’s first choice to build his Biltmore estate that is located near Asheville, N.C.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

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Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina Renews Florida Green Lodging Designation

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Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina has renewed their Florida Green Lodging Designation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For information, visit www.PinkShell.com or call 1-888-222-7465.
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    Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina has renewed their Florida Green Lodging Designation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For information, visit www.PinkShell.com or call 1-888-222-7465.
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    Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina has renewed their Florida Green Lodging Designation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For information, visit www.PinkShell.com or call 1-888-222-7465.
    https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnfull/20150909/265215
    https://photos.prnewswire.com/prn/20150909/265215
    https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnthumb/20150909/265215
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    Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina has renewed their Florida Green Lodging Designation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For information, visit www.PinkShell.com or call 1-888-222-7465.









FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla., Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Providing a peaceful experience for guests as well as the environment that surrounds them, Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina is proud to announce that it has renewed their Florida Green Lodging Designation.

Being the first resort in Fort Myers Beach involved in the Florida Green Lodging Program since 2008, Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina is now a 2-Palm status property with the program.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection launched the program in 2004 as a voluntary initiative to recognize facilities in the hospitality industry that utilize efforts to conserve and protect the state’s natural resources. To qualify and receive a designation in the program, facilities must implement numerous environmental practices in communication and education (customers, employees and public); waste reduction (reusing and recycling); water conservation; energy efficiency; and indoor air quality.

The state has praised the Fort Myers resort for efforts that include installing a trash compactor and cardboard separator, adding an electric car charging station, implementing nature programs with an on-site master naturalist, planting 10,000 plants on the beach to prevent erosion and hosting a water conservation community event. Pink Shell also recycles all paper, glass, cardboard, electronics, cooking oil and batteries while boasting a green team that meets once a month to discuss ongoing initiatives.

“We are extremely passionate about improving our environmental footprint and constantly looking to find new eco-friendly practices to utilize,” said Alicia Wiley, general manager of Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina. “We are proud of our 2 Palm status and hope our efforts serve as an inspiration to other properties in the area and beyond.”

Located along 12 beautiful acres across the Gulf of Mexico, the Fort Myers Beach hotel is dedicated to protecting its surroundings. In addition to the sugary-white sand beach, the property boasts a 41-slip marina on Estero Bay, ranked in the Top 25 Places to Tie Up in North America.

When not enjoying the stunning outdoors, travelers are invited to retreat to one- and two-bedroom condo-style suites that incorporate eco-friendly practices while providing all of the comforts of home.

About Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina
Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina at 275 Estero Blvd. in Fort Myers, FL sits along a quarter mile of sugary-white sands with 213 beachfront studio and condo-style accommodations overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the barrier islands of South West Florida, Sanibel and Captiva. The resort, a Boykin Management Co. property, was the first on the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel to be designated a Green Lodging Property by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For information, visit www.PinkShell.com or call 1-888-222-7465. Like Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina on Facebook, follow the resort on Twitter and add it to a circle on Google Plus.

About Boykin Management Company
Boykin Management Co., a leading hospitality management company with offices in Charlotte, NC and Fort Myers Beach, FL, is consistently recognized for excellence in delivering value-added lodging operations. Since 1958, BMC has been developing, managing and operating hotels, resorts, condominium hotels and conference centers. In addition to BMC’s long-standing relationships with the industry’s leading hotel brands including Marriott, Hilton, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, Radisson, Crowne Plaza, Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn, BMC has operated numerous independent and resort hotels. BMC has managed more than 20,000 rooms in 23 states since its inception. For information, visit www.Boykin.com.

PRESS CONTACT
Ellis Etter
1-239-463-6181
eetter@pinkshell.com

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150909/265215

 

SOURCE Pink Shell Beach Resort Marina

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Video: Tupelo Lands More Tourism Honors

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TUPELO, Miss. – Mayor Jason Shelton was named the 2015 Governmental Friend of Tourism and Kylie Boring, Director of Marketing for the Tupelo Convention Visitors Bureau (TCVB), was named the 2015 Rising Star by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) at their annual Shining Example awards banquet held Wednesday, September 9, 2015 in Charleston, WV. The Shining Example Awards recognize outstanding contributions in professional tourism across the 12-member states that make up STS.

 

Shelton’s nomination included such monumental work as his efforts following the April 2014 tornado and Tupelo’s fifth All-America City honor. His dedication to tourism product development and creating new events and festivals in the city helped make him the unanimous choice for the Governmental Friend of Tourism Award.

“Mayor Shelton has been committed to tourism since his first day in office and we are so excited that he is being honored for his hard work and dedication by our peers in the tourism industry,” said Neal McCoy, TCVB executive director.

Boring’s impressive list of accomplishments included work in the development of Tupelo’s new brand identity and website. She was also cited for expanding and managing the vast marketing program of work for the bureau, with a great focus on research. She also serves her industry as the state representative for the Public Relations Association of Mississippi and is a board member for the Sanctuary Hospice House Junior Auxiliary Committee. In 2014, Boring was named “Top 40 Under 40” by the Mississippi Business Journal.

“Kylie has hit the ground running from her very first day on the job and is a vital part of our team, said McCoy. “She is deserving of this honor and we are so proud of the work she has done.”

Boring’s award makes the third Tupelo CVB staffer to have been named the STS Rising Star with Neal McCoy receiving the honor in 2009 and Jennie Bradford Curlee being named in 2014.

STS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of tourism throughout the Southeast. It currently serves 12 member states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and Arkansas.

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