The Triangle Ranks High in Best Places to Travel in 2021
North Carolina’s Triangle made the Top 50 List in Travel + Leisure magazine’s Best Places to Visit in 2021. Ranked 30th among destinations that include Big Sky, Montana and the city of Los Angles, The Triangle, shorthand for Research Triangle, includes the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. This vibrant and growing area in the northeast central region of the Piedmont lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Mountains.
While the Outer Banks and Asheville have lured leisure travelers from around the world for decades, the Triangle is becoming a destination in its own right. The Greater Raleigh CVB, Discover Durham, and the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau have been working hard to promote the amazing experiences and unique local businesses that make the Triangle so special.
“Tourism is one of North Carolina top industries, contributing billions of dollars to the economy annually and employing over 236,500 North Carolinians,” says Dr. Michael Kanters, Interim Department Head and Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. “Our Tourism Extension associate and specialists are helping NC businesses and organizations deal with the impact of COVID-19 to successfully navigate a wide range of recovery efforts.”
NC State’s Tourism Extension office is supporting NC’s tourism industry during the pandemic by compiling resources for tourism businesses and destinations, assisting with digital marketing strategies, researching effects of COVID on different facets of the industry and fostering strategic partnerships for economic recovery.
As a result, visitors from near and far can continue to experience the trails at Duke Forest and Umstead Park along with the fried oysters and Hush-Honeys® at Saltbox Seafood Joint or the Crème Brulee French Toast at La Farm Bakery. Thanks to new and renovated hotel stock, guests are giving rave reviews to Guest House Raleigh, Origin Hotel, The Durham Hotel and the Guess-White-Ogle House, also known as the Pink House, in Cary.
“Many businesses throughout the Triangle and across the state are making the Count On Me NC pledge,” says Ann Savage, Tourism Extension Associate at NC State’s Department of Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Management. “Developed in partnership with NC State Extension, VisitNC, and the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, Count On Me NC is a public health initiative that empowers visitors, guests and businesses to help keep everyone safe from COVID-19.”