Wilmington, NC: The Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau [CVB] is pleased to announce that the destination—Wilmington and Island Beaches—was voted as “Best Weekend Getaway” during the 2018 WRAL Out and About Voters’ Choice Award contest. Winners were announced during the WRAL Out & About Voters’ Choice ceremony which was held on Thursday, January 10 at the Stateview Hotel in Raleigh. As Wilmington and Beaches CVB Executive Vice President of Marketing Shawn Braden accepted the award for the No. 1 “Best Weekend Getaway,” she encouraged the audience to “Come visit!”
Awards were divided into eight main categories: Entertainment & Nightlife, Food & Drink, Family & Pets, Health & Life, Home, People, Professional Services, and Shopping. The “Best Of” contest gave WRAL.com’s audience the opportunity to vote on their favorites in each category. After the votes were tallied, Wilmington and Island Beaches won as “Best Weekend Getaway,” followed by Asheville (#2) and the Outer Banks (#3). Runners-up were Charlotte and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“Winning the WRAL Out and About Voters’ Choice award for ‘Best Weekend Getaway’ is especially exciting for our destination because the Triangle region—Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill—comprises our top feeder market for visitors,” states Kim Hufham, president/CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority. “The timing of this honor could not be better, as we continue our ‘Comeback’ campaign to let visitors know that Wilmington and our island beaches are open for business and welcoming visitors following the storm in September. Because of our quick recovery, we’re looking forward to a great spring and summer.”
WRAL is the NBC affiliate that serves the greater Triangle market in North Carolina. According to WRAL’s website, votes were cast by its audience during the nomination period, which was open from October through early December. The final ballot featured five finalists, which were selected based on the number of nominations they received. The top three vote-getters in each category were recognized at the awards ceremony.
For the full list of 2018 WRAL Out and About Voters' Choice Awards winners, click here. Read more about the contest and ceremony here.
The New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority d/b/a Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization of New Hanover County which stimulates economic development through the promotion of travel and tourism.
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Contact:
Connie Nelson
Wilmington CVB
910-341-4030 x120
866-266-9690
cvbpr@wilmingtonandbeaches.com
