Committee & Meetings
Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee
On November 16, 2023, the Dare County Tourism Board reviewed recommendations for appointment to the Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP) Special Committee/Task Force and unanimously approved the selection of 22 community members to this group. The intent of this committee is to evaluate the strategic goals outlined in the LRTMP, make recommendations to the Dare County Tourism Board for action and further implement adopted recommendations. The individuals in this group represent a mix of local leaders, Dare County professionals across industries and interests, and concerned residents.
The next Special Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 20 at 9:00am at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau administrative offices on Roanoke Island. The meeting is open to the public, although seating will be limited.
Special Committee Meeting Recaps & Updates
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Agenda | Presentation | Minutes | Video Recap
Meeting highlights included:
- Non-profit organization partnerships - Discussion topics included the creation of a non-profit directory on OuterBanks.org, monthly non-profit organization/community enewsletter communication, the 2nd Annual NPO Mission Mixer (April 2024), a future NPO Knowledge Series workshop (September 2024) and proactive non-profit/voluntourism marketing and PR efforts by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
- Resident engagement program – Discussion topics included examples of how the Outer Banks community was engaged in the creation of the LRTMP, the impact of transparent two-way communication with residents, the importance of communicating tourism’s value to residents, a review of existing/upcoming resident communications tactics, the creation of a more robust LRTMP website presence and exploring various community engagement tactics such as the creation of an ambassador program.
- Outer Banks Pledge – The committee discussed the rationale behind why destinations have created tourism pledges in recent years, explored other tourism pledges from around the world and reviewed a preliminary draft of an Outer Banks Pledge.
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Agenda | Community Engagement Report | Minutes | Video Recap
Meeting highlights included:
- Prioritizing LRTMP strategies and tactics that the group can lead and look to accomplish in 2024
- Identifying the local organizations, commissions and committees who are already working on projects and initiatives that overlap with the strategies within the LRTMP
- Gathering data from these various groups to better inform and educate the Special Committee on aspects that apply directly to the strategic goals in the LRTMP
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Agenda | Minutes | Video Recap
After a few brief community engagement updates and gaining consensus among the group to present the latest draft of the Outer Banks Promise with the Dare County Tourism Board at their meeting on April 18, the committee divided into two smaller work groups to explore LRTMP Goal #2 (Adopt an integrated approach to improve environmental stewardship) and LRTMP Goal #3 (Support infrastructure development that benefits the vitality of the community for residents and visitors). From those discussions, the following action items emerged:
- Collect sustainability plans from municipalities, agencies and non-profit organizations, as well as LRTMP survey information, to identify and prioritize the environmental challenges we are trying to address and help solve
- Help to establish and promote environmental stewardship communications (based on the priority issues that are identified) through local recreation outfitters and into events through the various organizers
- Define the structural and human aspects of "infrastructure" (i.e. - roads, sidewalks, high-speed internet, schools, transportation, emergency services, beach nourishment, child care, etc.)
- Continue creating an inventory of local infrastructure partners and collaborate with these groups to offer a tourism perspective on the areas that overlap with the goals and strategies of the LRTMP
- Collaborate with local stakeholders to gain a better understanding of accessibility efforts and related inventory in Dare County and enhance the awareness and communication of that access
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Agenda | Community Engagement Report | Minutes | Video Recap
The Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee held its fourth meeting on May 8. The committee opened with a discussion on the Outer Banks Promise, a destination pledge that is designed to inspire responsible and safe behavior. The Dare County Tourism Board approved the Promise at its April meeting and work is underway to introduce it to the community and to visitors in advance of the 2024 summer season.
In addition to a community campaign to generate awareness and understanding of the Outer Banks Promise with local residents, visitors will also have the opportunity to engage with these seven core messages via Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (OBVB) digital channels (website, social, email), as well as at the four Welcome Centers. Similar pledges have been adopted by other tourism-driven destinations around the world, including Aspen, CO; Big Sur, CA; Finland, Iceland, Hawaii, and Sedona, AZ.
The committee then picked up where it left off in the April meeting by breaking into smaller groups to continue their discussions on environmental stewardship and infrastructure development. Several action items have been prioritized, such as:
- Reviewing resident feedback on environmental concerns to see how the committee can align with and prioritize addressing those challenges.
- Collecting sustainability plans from other local organizations to also help identify and prioritize what to focus on.
- Identifying environmental, infrastructure and accessibility experts to educate the committee, industry partners and the community on these issues and opportunities.
- Continuing to identify local councils, commissions and organizations whose work overlaps with the LRTMP and invite collaboration and support of those efforts.
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Agenda | Community Engagement Report | Minutes (coming soon) | Video Recap
Following a two month hiatus, the Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee for the Long-Range Tourism Management Plan gathered at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau administrative offices on Roanoke Island. Updates included:
- A North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) presentation from Win Bridgers (Division 1 Engineer) with updates on road resurfacing projects, bridge construction and repairs, transportation studies, ADA ramp installations, pedestrian safety initiatives and funding. The updates were very informative and allowed the committee to better understand NCDOT priorities, how they overlap with the Long-Range Tourism Management Plan and how such initiatives can be supported.
- A recap of a recent meeting of local sports teams and recreation leaders, convened by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and Dare County Parks and Recreation, to gain a better understanding of athletic facility needs and to share various state and local grant opportunities.
- The Outer Banks Promise marketing, communications and activation plan.
- Recent progress of the Dare Community Housing Task Force.
- 2023 North Carolina Visitor Spending report.
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration and multi-use pathway projects.
- Retrofitting of Wildlife Friendly Lighting at Jennette’s Pier.
- The Blue Zones Ignite Outer Banks initiative, led by Outer Banks Health and Dare County Health and Human Services, focused on the long-term health and well-being of all county residents.
The next Special Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 18 at 9:00am at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau administrative offices on Roanoke Island.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Agenda | Community Engagement Report | Minutes (coming soon) | Video Recap
The Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee for the Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP) met on September 18 and divided up into working groups for a majority of the 90 minute session to further prioritize goals and strategies as outlined in the plan. In addition to the Environmental Stewardship and Infrastructure Development groups that were created at past meetings, a Resident & Visitor Engagement group was also formed. A few highlights from these discussions include:
- Discussing next steps to engage with the local community to share tourism updates, as well as solicit feedback from residents on the LRTMP. While we’ve made progress in several areas since the plan was published last year, we need to find ways for the community to provide input as we move forward. This is a top priority and we look forward to sharing next steps with you soon.
- Identifying opportunities to work with local partners and to leverage technology to continue to educate our community on The Outer Banks Promise – our destination pledge to inspire more responsible behavior and better stewardship.
- Exploring ways for local events to have a more sustainable footprint.
- Outreach to local municipalities and businesses to explore various sustainability and stewardship plans and best practices
- Digging deeper into accessibility and mobility issues and opportunities within the community.
A few Outer Banks Visitors Bureau updates were also covered at the end of the meeting. The 2nd Annual Non-Profit Knowledge Series, presented in partnership with the Outer Banks Community Foundation, is coming up on Friday, September 27 (9:30am-4:30pm) at College of the Albemarle’s Dare Campus in Manteo. This FREE workshop is open to non-profit professionals, board members and community fundraisers. Attendees will learn more about the importance of strategic planning, as well as fundraising fundamentals. Response has been great, but a few spots still remain.
In addition, the 10th Annual OBX Tourism Summit is quickly approaching on Thursday, November 7 from 8am-3pm at the Pioneer Theater in Manteo. Learn about the state of tourism in Dare County, key bureau updates, a sneak peek at the new Outer Banks Visitor Profile Study and much more. Register by October 14 for early bird pricing.
The next Special Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 9 at 9:00am at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau administrative offices on Roanoke Island.
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Agenda | Community Engagement Report | Dare Community Housing Task Force Presentation | Minutes (coming soon) | Video Recap
The Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee for the Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP) met on October 9 at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau administrative offices on Roanoke Island.
The committee welcomed Donna Creef and Malcolm Fearing – Chair and Vice Chair, respectively – of the Dare Community Housing Task Force, who provided updates about the activity, progress and challenges that the Task Force faces. The Housing Task Force has been meeting monthly since February and continues to take positive action towards providing recommendations on next steps to address some of the key housing issues that we’re facing as a community. Click here to view the presentation slides. Advocating for an increase in residential housing diversity is one of the four strategic goals in our Long-Range Tourism Management Plan and our Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee is committed to supporting the work of the Housing Task Force however it can.
The Special Committee then spent some time discussing a resident engagement plan that includes Tourism Town Halls that are intended to share key updates as well as give community members the opportunity to provide feedback and ideas on a variety of topics related to the LRTMP. More details will follow after the next Committee meeting on November 20, including on the dates and locations of these Town Halls and how you can participate.
The committee also learned about efforts that some local businesses – including Outer Banks Blue, Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk and Outer Banks Health – are taking to make The Outer Banks Promise as an organization. If your group or company is interested in taking this step and showing support for our destination pledge and stewardship initiatives, please reach out to Jeff Schwartzenberg, Community Engagement Manager, at community@outerbanks.org.
The next Special Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 20 at 9:00am at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau administrative offices on Roanoke Island.
LRTMP Special Committee Meeting Update | October 9, 2024
2024-2025 LRTMP Special Committee Members
Dennis Robinson - Committee Chair, Midgett Realty | Nick Graham, Standard Insurance & Realty |
Mark Ballog, Lucky 12 Tavern | David Hallac, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina |
Jessica Barnes, Outer Banks Forever | Natalie Kavanagh, Frisco Rod & Gun |
Karen Brown, Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce | Elizabeth Morey, Town of Southern Shores |
Tim Cafferty, Outer Banks Blue Realty Services | Lee Nettles, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau |
Dr. Shannon Castillo, Dare County Schools | Bobby Outten, Dare County |
Jamie Chisholm, Hilton Garden Inn - Kitty Hawk | Mike Remige, Jennette's Pier |
Dr. Reide Corbett, Coastal Studies Institute | Chris Sawin, Outer Banks Community Foundation |
Donna Creef, Outer Banks Association of REALTORS® | Ronnie Sloan, Outer Banks Health |
Augusta Feldmann, KPMG | Tim Sweeney, College of the Albemarle - Dare Campus |
Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy, The Coastland Times | Chris Vlahos, Barefoot Bernie's Tropical Grill & Bar |
Interested in Serving on the Special Committee?
If you are a Dare County resident or non-resident property owner and would like to be considered for a seat on the Dare County Tourism Board Special Committee in the future, please complete and submit an online application.