Cornelius, Davidson & Huntersville, NC – Visit Lake Norman is proud to announce its recognition with a Gold Marketing Achievement Award in the Community Stakeholders category at the North Carolina Travel Industry Association (NCTIA) Tourism Leadership Conference, held November 5–6. The recognition celebrates Visit Lake Norman’s success in keeping community members and partners connected through its monthly email newsletter, which delivers timely updates, highlights local events and attractions, and reinforces the organization’s role in promoting the Lake Norman area as a vibrant destination.
Developed entirely in-house by the Visit Lake Norman team, the newsletter has become one of the organization’s most effective communication tools, offering a reliable, visually engaging channel for both residents and visitors. Each issue showcases seasonal blogs, partner spotlights, and upcoming events, while driving readers directly to Visit Lake Norman’s website and social media for deeper engagement.
From August 2024 through June 2025, the newsletter achieved an average open rate of 54%, peaking at 59% in April and June, nearly double the tourism industry average. Click-through rates averaged 7–8%, with more than 16,000 subscribers regularly engaging with content about the region’s attractions, experiences, and community updates.
“We’re thrilled to receive this award; it really reflects our dedication to keeping the Lake Norman community informed and inspired. Through our newsletter, we get to share the stories that matter and connect people to everything that makes this area so special,” said Sally Ashworth, CEO of Visit Lake Norman.
The awards invite the 100 counties in North Carolina to submit and recognize the best in the state for marketing efforts in the travel and tourism industry. The award selection committee is comprised of peers from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia industry affiliates. Visit Lake Norman has won 23 destination marketing awards in the last ten years and a total of 61 awards.
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