Tourism director reports recordable web traffic, occupancy gains and paid/earned coverage for Edenton

At a special presentation the council received the annual tourism update from Erin Mazel, the county tourism authority’s executive director, who reviewed marketing results, website improvements and event‑driven visitation trends.

Mazel told council the authority’s fiscal‑year occupancy tax receipts were about $304,000 and noted calendar‑year occupancy tax collections of $251,180.45 for 2022. She highlighted several digital projects including the new VisitEdenton website (with a search function), a digital scavenger hunt, a photography refresh of more than 1,700 images, video content on the homepage, and a new interactive “wander map” that profiles downtown businesses and hours.

Key performance indicators cited by Mazel included a cost‑per‑click near $0.10 (below an industry average she said is about $0.30) and a 2.52% click‑through rate on digital ads. She also reported more than 150,000 page views for the year, expanded social reach (Facebook followers grew from roughly 5,900 to over 12,000 around the Major League Fishing event spike), and at least seven earned media placements and several paid partnerships. Mazel credited events such as Sounds of Summer and Major League Fishing with producing measurable visitation and social‑media buzz, and said the authority negotiated approximately $26,000 in print advertising savings through rate negotiations.

Council members asked whether recent coverage expanded visitation from the Triad and Triangle; Mazel said tracking shows increased numbers from Raleigh and surrounding markets and that short‑term returns will continue to be evaluated. She encouraged council and residents to acknowledge Public Works staff who supported large events by keeping facilities clean and functional during busy periods.

The update is informational; no formal council action was requested or taken on the tourism report during the meeting.