Travel volume represents an increase of 48,500 total travelers compared to last year. An estimated 2,559,700, or 90.5 percent of total travelers, plan to drive to their destination. North Carolina travelers are expected to log an average trip of 965 miles from home, a significant increase from 765 miles last year.
Although she has no specific holiday tourism numbers, Beth Carden, executive director of the Hendersonville Visitors Center, said 2013 was “a spectacular year,” for tourism. “From January to October we’ve already had 120,000 people come to our Visitors Center, about 30,000 to 40,000 more than the year before. Many local retailers have told us their business is the best it’s been in years.”
Carden credits increased marketing efforts in major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta and Charleston, for bringing additional visitors to the area.
“We started a winter getaway card program, and we’ve gotten some good response that’s driving traffic between November and March. The getaway program is trying to provide a deal or added value to get people here and have them do their Christmas shopping here and stay overnight, maybe go to a concert, go shopping or have dinner,” she said.
Winter getaway cards are free at the Visitors
Article source: http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20131221/ARTICLES/131229985/1042/news?Title=Holiday-travel-in-NC-expected-to-set-record If you need a cheap air ticket, hotel or rental car please visit http://www.airticket.com
