Developing a strategic plan to grow tourism in Raleigh and Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County in North Carolina is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the U.S., and county leadership and Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau saw an opportunity to grow their tourism industry. The county selected the team at JLL to help achieve its ambition of enhancing its reputation as a premier destination and attracting an additional five million visitors to the area by 2028.

Together, the teams at Wake County and JLL engaged all municipalities in the county and collected input from more than 1,800 stakeholders to help construct a 10-year destination strategic plan, which included best practices for convention center operation optimization, product development opportunities, funding priorities, and improved sales and marketing efforts country-wide.

With a customized tourism plan, based on where their assets aligned with the broader destination’s strategic plan priorities, the county was able to effectively communicate its path to future success with the general public, highlighting plans for renovations and expansions.

With a strategic plan in place, Raleigh and Wake County are now well on their way to achieving their goals for attracting more visitors to their thriving communities.