Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tourism staff tout Northern Outer Banks brand, report $580 million in visitor spending (2024) and lay out marketing plan
Summary
Currituck County’s Tourism Development Authority presented a new Northern Outer Banks brand, an eight-episode wild-horse docuseries, a biweekly podcast and a multi-channel marketing plan. Staff said 2024 direct visitor spending was roughly $580 million and described a Hobie partnership, digital campaigns, TV and airport buys, and event grants.
The Tourism Development Authority presented branding, visitor-economy metrics and a marketing plan during a special session on Oct. 20.
Tamara (title: Tourism director, first name only in meeting record) opened the presentation with a branding update and noted the TDA’s website (northernouterbanks.com) and a new docuseries and podcast. The TDA launched the Northern Outer Banks brand in March 2025 and updated its website in June 2025.
Alex Perry, marketing and communications director, summarized the audience research and advertising plan. He said the TDA targets principal feeder markets (Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina) and that 46% of the media budget goes to digital channels, with additional spending on print, billboards, radio and connected TV. The TDA reported roughly $580,000,000 in direct visitor spending for 2024, $106,860,000 in worker income and 25,507 tourism-related jobs in that year, figures the agency attributed to state visitor-economy data shared in the presentation.
The marketing team described specific campaigns: a fall campaign, a holiday campaign and an upcoming spring/summer campaign; a brand partnership with Hobie that will include a vacation giveaway; airport and billboard buys in major origin markets; and continued investment in owned media, including an eight-episode wild-horse docuseries and a biweekly podcast. The TDA also reported awarding ten event grants totaling $140,000 and provided updates on Whalehead restoration work and two interpretive signs installed honoring the Dunston family and Currituck Union School.
Commissioners asked whether tourism staff share this material with potential hotel operators; staff said they do receive inquiries from businesses, maintain an annual inventory of vacation-rental properties (about 2,700 managed homes, average estimated bedroom count used to model visitor numbers) and occasionally provide information to prospective investors. Staff said occupancy and promotion budgets keep a small “cushion” so marketing can be increased if bookings soften.
No board action beyond approving TDA budget amendments and convening the TDA special meeting was taken during the presentation.
