Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
For Approval January 18, 2023 <br /> Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau <br /> In Person Board of Directors Meeting <br /> November 16, 2022 <br /> Board Members Present: Mayor Damon Seils filling in for Chair Mark Bell, Spring Council, <br /> Manish Atma, Karen DeHart, Jon Hartman-Brown, Matt Gladdek, Sharon Hill, Tanya Moore, <br /> Beverly Payne, Karen Stegman, Lisa Ganzzermiller, and Grace Holtkamp <br /> Not Present: Mark Bell, Earl McKee, Lili Engelhardt, Heidi Werner, and Katie Murray with <br /> Orange County Arts Commission <br /> Staff Attendance: Laurie Paolicelli, Marlene Barbera, Mary Salvarezza <br /> Also in attendance: Carrie Currie, Director of Alliance for Historic Hillsborough <br /> Call to Order <br /> Mayor Seils called the meeting to order at 8:16 a.m. <br /> Approval of Minutes <br /> Mayor Seils requested a motion to approve the October 19, 2022 minutes. Spring Council <br /> so moved and Sharon Hill seconded the motion. With all members in favor, the minutes <br /> were approved as submitted <br /> Introductions <br /> Tourism and Travel Updates, Executive Director <br /> • We are seeing a positive trend in demand for lodging, largely due to rate. <br /> Visitors Bureau is looking at new providers of short term rental information. AirDNA <br /> is "scraping data" not providing accurate information on long term renters versus <br /> visitors. Working on a new vendor to get accurate numbers. To this point, Manish <br /> updated board on Chapel Hill's short term rental regulations- The Town Council is <br /> regulating short term rentals and requiring permitting. Some people need to go thru <br /> the permitting and registration process in a couple of zones so state taxes will be <br /> paid. Hard to police. Short Term Rental (STR) supply is down, many were sold. <br /> Manish commented that he is supportive of accurate data with new company. <br /> • Paolicelli attended a state Tourism Conference and one of the topics of conversation <br /> is how the occupancy tax being diverted to other areas in many counties, with <br /> Currituck County currently in litigation with the NC Travel and Tourism Coalition. <br /> • Tourism business is coming back to Orange County communities powerfully on <br /> weekends and in the leisure sectors (football, basketball, arts, and weddings). We <br /> are still struggling with midweek demand from business travel and conference travel. <br /> • The Visitors Bureau's marketing is focused on this area. <br />