Free One-on-one Assistance
The Blowing Rock TDA’s skilled staff members stand ready to help our tourism industry partners make use of all our organization has to offer! From social media tips for your business, to ideas for promotions, we are happy to help. Whether your business is new or well-established, we invite you to schedule a meeting to review all the programs offered by the BRTDA and find those that fit your needs. We love to brainstorm and share what we have learned from other businesses and organizations! It’s a wise investment of your time.
How does this help me?
This is the easiest way to get expert guidance on your promotions, or learn about useful programs, all paid for by occupancy taxes. Plus, developing a relationship with the BRTDA is a great way to get connected to others in the industry who can become effective partners.
What do I need to do?
Contact Amanda Lugenbell and schedule a meeting. If you have particular interest in a specific area, you may be meeting with a different member of our staff.
The Village Tattler Tourism Industry E-newsletter
The Village Tattler is a weekly, business-to-business newsletter from the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority. It includes locally-relevant tourism news, updates on Blowing Rock TDA activities, event reminders, and promotional opportunities. The Tattler newsletter is useful for those working in hotels, shops, attractions, and restaurants along with local volunteers, county and municipality leaders, BRTDA board members, and other members of the community who want to stay up-to-date on the local tourism industry.
How does this help me?
The newsletter is full of information that you will find helpful. You will always be able to answer guests and customers when they ask “what’s going on in town this weekend?” It will also keep you in-the-know about ways you can get more involved with the BRTDA, such as participating with media, when to update guide & website listings, and more. If your business has been featured in the media, won an award, or has special events, the Tattler is a great way to share your news with your industry partners and colleagues.
What do I need to do?
To receive the newsletter, let us know you’d like to be added to the mailing list, or sign up here >>
If you have something to you’d like us to include, reply to the newsletter for consideration!
Research & Data Resources
The BRTDA maintains data on local occupancy tax revenue, which shows seasonal trends and changes in visitation over time. Additionally, collected data from Arrivalist and AirDNA gives insights on our travel markets and where our visitors spend their time. The BRTDA also participates in and occasionally commissions visitor studies.
How does this help me?
As a tourism partner of the BRTDA, you have access to these valuable industry insights and research resources. These can help you understand your potential customer base, make marketing decisions, confirm staffing levels needed for various seasons, and more.
What do I need to do?
Find links to relevant market research, results of BRTDA commissioned studies, local occupancy tax revenue reports, and more on these partner pages. If you are looking for a particular set of data or want to know which research can help you find the answer to specific questions, contact Tracy or Amanda and we’ll get the relevant information directly to you.
Photo Sharing & Resources
The BRTDA has a selection of free, high-resolution destination & event photography available for partners to use on their websites or in promotions. It’s important for us to have up-to-date images of your business, too, so we invite you to send us any professional-grade images you have of your business. We use current images of local tourism-related businesses to tell specific and engaging stories on our website and social media, and we also send photos of local businesses to the media in response to inquiries. We can also take high-resolution photos of your business for use in your materials and in our promotions!
How does it help me?
The BRTDA’s image library and photo services saves our partners the time and expense of creating their own images. And when we have good images of your business, we can promote you more specifically and effectively.
What do I need to do?
Request use of destination & event images or schedule a time for our staff to visit your business to take photos by contacting Amanda Lugenbell. You may email existing photos you have of your businesses directly to us. Details on the photo program are available here >>
Printable Calendars
A monthly/weekly (depending on season) printable calendar of special events and activities that take place in and around Blowing Rock is available to share with visitors.
How does this help me?
Your guests will appreciate this item! Accommodations can leave this in their guest rooms or in a common area, such as a front desk. Other businesses may find it beneficial to have copies available as well.
What do I need to do?
Let us know if you’d like the printable calendar in your inbox.
Field Trip: Industry FAM Tour
The BRTDA currently offers one annual tour in early June, open to tourism-related business management and frontline staff, to familiarize them with our various industry partners. These fun tours help to increase participants’ awareness of the many things the Blowing Rock area has to offer. These experiences are open to anyone in our local tourism industry, but they’re particularly effective at educating lodging partners’ frontline staff so they can inform guests of the great things to do while in town.
How does this help me?
This is a great, FREE way for you and your staff to discover all there is to do in Blowing Rock, which you can in turn share with your guests. Happier, more informed visitors are more likely to stay longer and make a return visit.
What do I need to do?
Watch for information on the Industry FAM Tours in our weekly Village Tattler newsletter. You are required to register yourself or your staff for these free events, as space is limited. Be sure you are signed up for the newsletter!
Student Employment Connection
The BRTDA hosts special tours for Hospitality & Tourism Management students at Appalachian State University each fall. On these tours, students visit various businesses to learn firsthand about what it takes to manage a hospitality operation, and to connect with potential employers. The BRTDA also shares potential internship hosts and employer info with Hospitality & Tourism Management program contacts at Appalachian State University.
How does this help me?
Local college students can fill employment positions at your business, particularly seasonal or part-time. As students who want to build careers in tourism, these folks can be excellent employees.
What do I need to do?
Let us know what kind of positions are available at your business for university students or interns and we’ll recommend those positions to contacts at ASU. Keep us updated on changes! If you would like to host the student tour group on a fall tour, contact Amanda Lugenbell at the BRTDA.
