About UPLIFT
The goal of UPLIFT was to support tourism through community driven efforts in rural North Carolina. UPLIFT worked regionally - across county borders - to support local tourism leaders and practitioners in realizing their vision for tourism in their community, including natural, recreational, cultural, agricultural, culinary, built, and other tourism.
UPLIFT's Objectives:
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Develop regional itineraries to diversify the overall tourism product, retain visitors for longer, and increase visitor spending
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Enhance, innovate and scale the tourism experiences offered within the regions, working with new and existing tourism providers
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Strengthen tourism economies, skills and capacities that stimulate entrepreneurship, grow businesses and create or retain jobs
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Tell the stories of the regions, their communities and individual tourism experiences to attract and retain visitors
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Integrate sustainability principles & practices into the tourism experiences supported
Geographic Focus
Most of the programs offered by UPLIFT were available to all tourism & recreation practitioners in the state,
however some programs specifically supported 20 core rural counties that are highlighted below
America Rescue Plan Act
The UPLIFT program was supported by the American Rescue Plan Act and represents one of several projects designed to address the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality, tourism, and outdoor recreation industries. We worked with the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, the N.C. Pandemic Recovery Office, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association.