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North Carolina's outdoor spaces — from the 6,000-foot peaks on the western border to the 100-foot sand dunes on the East Coast — are one of the biggest reasons millions of people visit the state every year. To help communities mitigate the impact of all that attention, Visit NC offers destination stewardship programming under the Outdoor NC brand. This programming balances the quality of experiences for visitors with the well-being of residents while conserving natural and cultural assets. The Outdoor NC stewardship programming provides participants with turnkey resources to raise awareness, activate projects and celebrate positive outcomes.
Outdoor NC consists of four partner programs. If you would like to learn more about any of the Outdoor NC programs, follow the links below or contact Amanda Baker, Partner Marketing Manager.
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Outdoor NC Partner Alliance
The Outdoor NC Alliance Partner Program harnesses best in class programming and offers access to destination stewardship resources for businesses, organizations and tourism management stakeholders. Partners will receive the Outdoor NC toolkit — which includes rights to the use of 7 Outdoor NC Leave No Trace Principles — and marketing and educational materials such as brand assets, social media content and training resources. The program offers tiered partnerships levels, providing valuable tools for promoting responsible travel.
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Outdoor NC Accessible Outdoors
Outdoor recreation enhances physical health, mental well-being and economic development. However, individuals with disabilities often face challenges, such as physical barriers and safety concerns, when accessing outdoor spaces.
The Outdoor NC Accessible Outdoors Program aims to provide more readily available transparent accessibility information, allowing individuals to make informed decisions about exploring NC’s outdoor areas. The program offers tools and resources to improve accessibility and inclusivity, including an ADA asset inventory sheet, accessible outdoor communication guidance, recorded webinars and more.
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Outdoor NC Trail Town Designation
The Outdoor NC Trail Town Stewardship Designation Program and Official North Carolina Trail Town Guide goes beyond recognizing trail networks and boosting visitor spending; it also champions destination stewardship and aligns with a growing demand for sustainable and regenerative travel experiences, making destinations attractive to mindful adventurers and sustaining resources for future generations. This capstone program is open to all towns, and the Trail Town Guide highlights all types of trails including cultural, experiential, blueways, greenways, single track and more. Outdoor NC Alliance Partners will have access to the Stewardship Activation Toolkit with dozens of implementation resources.
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Outdoor NC Guide Summit
Outfitters and guides play a critical role in the tourism industry and have a profound impact on visitors’ experience in the state. Guides and outfitters are in a unique position to be leaders in protecting our natural spaces by being leaders in stewardship and educating and inspiring visitors to do the same. By participating in the Outdoor NC program, you will become a trusted partner leading to more recognition and promotion on a statewide level.
We are thrilled to introduce the Outdoor NC Guide Summit. This summit is a part of our growing effort to recognize and promote tour guides and outfitters as one of our treasured state’s tourism assets. Outdoor NC and Leave No Trace staff have developed a custom curriculum and workshop for guides, outfitters, and tour operators in North Carolina. This first of its kind, curriculum addresses the Outdoor NC initiative, critical Leave No Trace skills and effective methods to equip guests with these skills during their experience.