Airbnb Relaunches Partnership With Visit North Carolina To Boost Rural Tourism

How the partnership promotes local tourism

The return of the Dream Big in Small Town North Carolina campaign led by Visit North Carolina and Airbnb aims to help the state’s post-pandemic recovery and support its tourism industry along with the many local shops, restaurants, and communities. It is a collaborative effort in coordination with North Carolina Department of Commerce and General Assembly as part of the state’s Rural Tourism Recovery Pilot Program.

People often picture a trip to North Carolina as a getaway in Asheville, Charlotte, or Raleigh. While these destinations are idyllic, the campaign aims to promote to travelers what they may be missing out on in North Carolina’s 16 rural counties in 3 distinct regions designated as the Scenic Mountains, the Northeast Lakes and Rivers, and the Inner Banks.

Regional campaigns for each season

With three campaigns planned out for three seasons, the partnership will showcase North Carolina’s lesser-known destinations for almost the entire year. The Spring campaign kicks it off by showcasing the Scenic Mountain region until April 20. They will then feature Summer in the Northeast Lakes & Rivers (April 21 – June 20) and Fall in the Inner Banks (June 21-August 20).

Each region will be promoted using strategies such as:

• media outreach, targeted social media ads, an influencer program, and an email campaign to Airbnb guests in target markets across the country
• an illustrated and interactive map hosted on a ‘Dream Page’ section of the Airbnb website featuring a curated list of nearby stays, experiences, and local businesses to help travelers discover North Carolina’s charming towns, rich history and hidden gems, and inspiring Airbnb Host stories
• sweepstakes to win a trip to visit the region, including an Airbnb gift card

Spring in the Scenic Mountains

North Carolina’s western region is covered by the Appalachian Mountains, the largest mountain range in the eastern United States. It’s only natural for the Scenic Mountains to take all the state’s glory comes springtime. As for the campaign, there are five designated counties in this region: Graham, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, and Yancey. If you want to witness spectacular sceneries in one of these five counties, the campaign’s sweepstake is your ticket. Travelers have until April 20 to register for a chance to win:

• A 1,000 USD voucher from Airbnb
• Three 100 USD gift cards for a selection of attractions
• A 500 USD gift card from Visit NC to assist with travel expenses

Thrilled to continue their partnership with Visit North Carolina, Viviana Jordan (Southeast Public Policy Lead for Airbnb), hopes to inspire more travelers to discover “rural areas that have so much to offer to those looking for a new vacation destination or a new home.” Executive Director of Visit North Carolina, Wit Tuttell, agrees and said that they are “looking beyond travel inspiration per se to highlight charismatic places with an appeal rooted in character and authenticity — places where travelers might settle in for longer stays by starting a business, joining the local workforce or working remotely.”

The current landscape of rural tourism in North Carolina

This partnership is anchored by Airbnb’s unwavering support of local economies’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the pursuit of boosting the benefits of travel for residents and small businesses, the vacation rental company has already launched over 140 partnerships in around 36 countries, including nearly 40 in the US and Canada. Rural tourism extends these benefits to communities that aren’t typically frequented by visitors. In 2022, nearly 1/3 of the total nights booked in North Carolina were in the rural areas.

In addition to Airbnb’s investments over the last year, local North Carolina residents received support through Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy. This interactive and flexible education program introduces communities to the important economic opportunities of hosting a rental. It is inclusive of two free, four-hour online workshops on exploring tourism entrepreneurship with insightful tips from an experienced Superhost Ambassador.

Explore North Carolina from this spring

The rising trend in rural trips in North Carolina is a great indication of its full potential as a travel destination. If you’re planning to explore new destinations, now is the perfect time to enjoy Spring in the Scenic Mountains before the region gets flocked by the summer crowd. There’s nothing quite like the scent of spring air in the Tar Heel State.