North Carolina LIVE Replay: COVID-19 and the Future of NC Tourism

Travel Massive Raleigh, North Carolina had a virtual meeting with four tourism professionals across a variety of avenues in the state’s travel industry.

This included Visit North Carolina, a boutique hotel owner, a journalist and PR firm representing restaurants. The goal of the meeting was to educate attendees on how businesses are handling the pandemic in inventive ways, including any lessons learned during this time.

The panel was moderated by Mikkel Woodruff – Raleigh Travel Massive chapter leader and content creator. Her website, Sometimes Home, is a travel blog she co-owns and operates with her husband, Dan. 

Catch the LIVE event recording below:

In this webinar we hear from:

Wit Tuttell, Director of Visit North Carolina 

Wit Tuttell was named Director of Visit North Carolina in November 2013. He oversees the strategic planning, policy development, and marketing initiatives for North Carolina’s official state tourism office and the industry sectors it serves.

His industry experience spans more than 25 years; he has been with North Carolina tourism since 2006. He has served as chair of the Board of Directors of Travel South USA, and serves on the board of the U.S. Travel Association.

Kristen Baughman, founder of Tabletop Media Group

Kristen Baughman is the founder of Tabletop Media Group, a full-service media agency specializing in the food, beverage, agriculture and lifestyle industries. She is adventurous and passionate and has traveled to more than 30 countries to explore different cultures and food around the world. In 2016 she launched Tabletop Media Group, a successful and growing company based in the Triangle area.

In her free time, you can find her relaxing outside with her dogs Cheerwine and Doc or at one of the many Triangle breweries sipping on a North Carolina beer. She currently lives on a farm her and her husband, Zayne, have in Warrenton, North Carolina, about an hour northeast of Raleigh.

Jason Frye, journalist and author

Jason Frye is a travel and food writer from Wilmington, North Carolina. After earning his Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from UNC Wilmington in 2005, he began exploring North Carolina through the lens of a poet, journalist, barbecue judge, culinary critic and travel writer. His work and photography have appeared in Dallas Morning News, Raleigh News & Observer, Charlotte Observer, VisitNC.com. Thrillist, and Moon.com, among others.

He’s the author of 14 print travel guides. His most recent book, an update to the Smoky Mountains, hit shelves in April 2020. You can follow his travels and plate-by-plate dining adventures on Instagram where he’s @BeardedWriter.

Russ Jones, LODEN Properties, owner of the Longleaf Hotel

Russ Jones is a partner at LODEN Properties, a hospitality, retail and mixed-use real estate development firm in Raleigh, NC. He has been involved in real estate for the majority of his career, and has an extensive background in hospitality development and management.

The Longleaf Hotel, owned by LODEN Properties, is the first independent boutique hotel in downtown Raleigh. It opened earlier this year, in mid-January. The renovated 56-room mid-century modern hotel was originally built in 1964 and pays homage to its design roots, while celebrating the Longleaf Pine and a unique North Carolina aesthetic.

Follow Mikkel on Travel Massive to connect with her.