Visit Smokies

Haywood County, North Carolina, has concurrently issued two tourism-related public relations RFPs.

Visit NC Smokies is the operating name of The Haywood County Tourism Development Authority, the entity responsible for driving tourism to Western North Carolina’s Haywood County—part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area—which includes The Great Smoky Mountains, the mountain range that runs along the Tennessee–North Carolina border that’s home to major southeastern tourist attraction the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Visit NC Smokies is looking for experienced firms in the travel and tourism sector that can develop a comprehensive tourism master plan and destination development plan as well as undertake a brand assessment and develop a messaging platform in an effort to promote Haywood County as a premier destination and elevate its stature as a destination among both visitors and residents.

The tourism master plan/destination development plan calls for harnessing the county’s “unique cultural, historical and natural assets to boost tourism, stimulate economic growth, ensure sustainability, and enrich the experience for both visitors and locals.”

Scope of work includes stakeholder and community engagement, research, destination assessment, product inventory; strategic development, conducting a brand audit, creating a sustainable and authentic destination brand promise, developing a visual and verbal brand identity and recommending appropriate strategies for introducing the brand to stakeholders.

The destination branding services RFP calls for developing a positioning and messaging platform to build equity and interest in Haywood County. Scope of work includes evaluating the current perceptions of Haywood County as a destination, identifying emotional brand drivers and producing a brand standards manual and brand identity (naming, logos, supporting graphics, colors, typography, etc.).

Agencies have the choice of submitting proposals for both RFPs or for only one project.

Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. (ET) on September 26 and should be submitted electronically to:

Hayley Printz, Administrative Assistant, [email protected].

Questions should be directed to Administrative Assistant Hayley Printz, [email protected], by September 7.

Download the tourism master plan RFP (PDF).

Download the destination branding services RFP (PDF).