Date:
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Location:
Council Chamber, Chapel Hill Town Hall
Chapel Hill 2020 will offer the special topic presentation "Tourism as a Community-Based Economic Development Strategy" by Laurie Paolicelli, executive director of the Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitors Bureau. The public is invited to the presentation to be held at noon Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the Council Chamber of Chapel Hill Town Hall. The public event will be aired live on Chapel Hill Government TV-18 and streamed on the Town of Chapel Hill website at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1850
According to the NC Department of Commerce, visitors traveling to and within the state of North Carolina spent a record $17 billion in 2010, supporting more than 40,000 North Carolina businesses and directly supporting 183,900 jobs all across the state. State and local tax revenues generated as a result of visitor spending total more than $1.5 billion annually.
North Carolina ranks as the 6th most visited state in the United States. How does Chapel Hill build upon the state's status as a top destination for visitors? What challenges does the local hospitality industry face in light of the current economy? What new developments are taking place? These topics and more will be discussed.
