Washington and Beaufort County will receive statewide exposure in 2020, with one of Sound Rivers’ paddle trail camping platforms featured on the front cover of Visit North Carolina’s “North Carolina Travel Guide.”

The staff and board members of the Washington Tourism Development Authority received a first look at the magazine during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday. Visit NC Executive Director Wit Tuttle was on hand at the meeting to speak about the magazine cover and other efforts by Visit NC to promote tourism throughout the state.

The cover photo of the magazine, “Tar-Pamlico River Water Trail” by Kevin J. Myazaki, depicts three women enjoying an evening on one of the local paddle trail camping platforms. It is one of three covers for the annual magazine that will be distributed throughout North Carolina and beyond.

“What a great opportunity for us to showcase our county and town, and expand our marketing reach across the state and out of the state,” WTDA Director Erin Ruyle said. “It’s a golden opportunity to expand our reach and introduce Beaufort County and Washington to people who have never heard of us.”

While having a local spot featured on the front cover of a publication that reaches across the country is a win for local tourism, Ruyle says it is a piece of a greater effort to attract visitors to Washington from throughout the state and beyond.

One of the group’s most successful campaigns, according to Ruyle, has come through the WTDA’s partnership with Raleigh’s WRAL. Throughout the year, the WTDA has sponsored a number of paid articles and TV spots through the broadcasting company.

“We’ve heard from merchants, time and time again, that people are coming from Raleigh, and they’re saying it’s because they’ve read about us or seen us on TV through WRAL,” Ruyle said.

In addition, the organization’s partnership with N.C. Tourism has allowed WTDA to spread its message to a broader audience, including a campaign to attract visitors from Washington, D.C. to the Original Washington on the Pamlico. Outside of these marketing partnerships, WTDA has also taken an active role in helping plan and host events that can be enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.

“Event tourism is a big draw for people,” Ruyle said. “A lot of people, like myself, travel to destinations based on attending a certain event. … We wanted to put on some events that would bring people to town, but were also something for locals to do.”

Examples of WTDA events in the past year include the group’s Alive After Five series during the fall months, which will continue next spring. WTDA also helped put on the inaugural George Washington Birthday Celebration last winter. Since last year, WTDA has hired a marketing and special events coordinator, Gabrielle Whitlock, to assist in those efforts.

In 2020, the tourism office will organize a variety of city-wide events, including a helicopter Easter egg drop, a new beer and wine festival in April called “Sails and Ales” and a “Dos De Mayo” celebration of Hispanic culture in May. The Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce will partner with the WTDA on both festivals.

“We’re really hoping to expand event tourism and just have more and more for people to do in Washington,” Ruyle said.