REGIONAL 2025 MESSAGING
Towns and counties across the NC High Country are collaborating on collective messaging this spring and summer: Our Mountains are Open – Come on Up!
This message will confirm for potential visitors that local places have bounced back and are ready to welcome them! Look for this messaging from Blowing Rock, Boone, Banner Elk, Ashe County and others, and please echo it in your own promotions! This can include ads, social media posts and stories, customer emails, or any other communications.
Examples:
Our Mountains are Open! We’ve bounced back and can’t wait to welcome you- come on up!
Our Mountains are Open – Come on up! All major attractions are open, all major roads are open, and our local businesses are excited to welcome you!
With these messages, share BlowingRock.com as a resource to plan a trip. Or share VisitNCHighCountry.com as a place to find updated activities across the region.
Spring: Back and Blooming!
This May and June, NC High Country partner towns and counties will be promoting all kinds of spring color! With this “Back and Blooming” concept, we’ll be sharing images of wildflowers and natural scenes with media.
Additionally, we’ll be highlighting all kinds of spring color in retail, dining, art, and entertainment, especially on social media! Please share your spring color with us so we can share with our audiences, too! Use these tags:
- @blowingrocknc
- #backandblooming
- #blowingrocknc
Here is some example wording you can use for a post:
We’re Back and Blooming! Blowing Rock’s signature events, charming downtown, and vibrant wildflowers are ready to welcome you. Come on up! Plan your trip at blowingrock.com.
We're Open: Assets from High Country Host
Our regional marketing organization, High Country Host, is updating a special landing page every Monday! Use this note to share:
For an updated list of spring events and attraction openings, call the High Country Host Regional Visitor Center at 828-264-1299 or click to VisitNCHighCountry.com
While we are also keeping BlowingRock.com updated for current recommendations, this regional page focuses on noting openings in particular. There, folks can find details on all of these topics and more:
- Spring hiking update– open/closed trails updated Mondays.
- Spring water recreation update– closed inputs updated Mondays.
- Spring Attraction openings– reaffirms attractions are open!
Additionally, High Country Host has created these story templates for you to post on your social media this season! Click to save to your device and post.
High Country Road Trip Map
As an additional effort to let folks know that the entire NC High Country is open for exploration and visitation, this High Country Summer Road Trip Map is ready for distribution! Click on the map below to save the image or download a printable PDF file. Please share it on social media or print for distribution in your business.
Thanks to our friends at the Banner Elk TDA for the creation of this fantastic asset!
We've Bounced Back
This collaborative campaign is intended to build awareness around the NC High Country’s status as OPEN TO VISITORS following Hurricane Helene, generate positive media coverage, and encourage the economic revitalization of the area, including Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties.
A graphic has been created to collectively celebrate our forward momentum and our bounce back from Hurricane Helene! Here are a couple of versions below; feel free to share or include in your promotions.
OUTDOOR NC RESOURCES
Blowing Rock is a proud member of the Outdoor NC Partner Alliance. Through this program, the TDA staff is learning more about how to communicate good stewardship ideals to our visitors and businesses. It’s vital that we all step up and do our part to protect and preserve the places we love, from Blowing Rock parks to lands on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
As a Blowing Rock business, you have access to some of the great resources made available through our partnership with Visit NC and Outdoor NC. Below, find printable posters, some excellent resources for sustainability in business, and even a Leave No Trace training program (a great refresher even if you’re familiar)!
Sustainable Business Resources
Outdoor NC has compiled some excellent resources for us all: A Global Trends Report and a comprehensive Sustainable Business Resource guide. Share this information with your employees, managers, and any stakeholders in your business.
Click on the images below to see the full files- both downloadable and printable PDFs.
Printable Posters & Handouts
Some printable pieces that help remind us all to protect and preserve the places we love!
A beautiful poster, plus a flyer and a tri-fold handout for the 7 principles of Leave No Trace. Click each image below for a downloadable and printable PDF file.
Resources to Share
We have a special section of this website dedicated to responsible and accessible recreation. Visitors will find details on Leave No Trace Principles, plus some simple guides for those new to exploring our area.
There’s also some information about the accessibility of popular locations and attractions to help folks decide how to plan for their trip.
This set of posts and guides are great for learning more about our local places, and for sharing with your audiences and employees.
Online Training Program
Everyone in the North Carolina hospitality or retail industry plays a crucial role to help promote Leave No Trace’s educational message with visitors and customers who are likely unaware of the negative impacts that can result from outdoor recreation.
Let’s help protect our outdoor resources with stewardship education, to help ensure that North Carolina’s thriving tourism and recreation economy continue to grow for years to come.
Check out this easy-to-follow Leave No Trace training module here!
