Tourism Incubator
& Accelerator
The UPLIFT Tourism Incubator & Accelerator empowers tourism professionals and entrepreneurs to enhance their services and drive economic growth in rural North Carolina.
Over 9-sessions, the program provides expert guidance, practical skills, and personalized support to help for-profit and non-profit organizations scale and strengthen their tourism operations. By focusing on relevant topics, actionable insights, and tailored workshop activities, the program equips participants with the tools they need to create or enhance their tourism or recreation services.
Key Features & Takeaways
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Best practices in organizational management and operations
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Insights to align entrepreneurial mindsets and habits (for both business and non-profit settings)
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Skills to establish or scale a tourism operation or activity
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Opportunities to strengthen networks with other tourism organizations
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Comprehensive plans for implementing the organizations’ tourism vision, including customer profiles, mini-marketing strategies, funding strategies, and risk management plans
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A certification of completion
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Additional one-on-one mentoring & support sessions with industry experts upon the program’s completion
Why Join?
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Practical Tools: Access tailored resources, worksheets, and templates designed just for this program.
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Network Building: Connect with a community of tourism professionals, including your unique cohort, expert guests, and the UPLIFT team.
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Actionable Outcomes: Walk away with clear, step-by-step plans to operationalize your vision or elevate your existing efforts.
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Personalized Support: Receive one-on-one mentorship to tackle unique challenges and opportunities.
Program Structure
This 9-session program combines expert-led presentations, interactive group sessions, and personalized mentorship to address the specific needs of participants.
Each cohort is limited to 20 enrollees to ensure personalized attention and meaningful engagement.
When & Where
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Weekly online sessions, every Tuesday night from 6-8pm EST.
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See the schedule below.
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Time Commitment:
Approximately 40 hours, including webinars, homework, and one-on-one mentor/support sessions.​​​​​​​​​​
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Program Prerequisite:
We encourage all participants in the Incubator to
also attend the Jumpstarting Your Tourism Idea
workshop, held before the Incubator’s
first session.
Participant Expectations:
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Participate in at least 7 of the 9 online sessions.
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Complete relevant homework assignments.
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Suggested participation in Jumpstarting Your Tourism Idea
