The Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) earned a pair of tourism marketing awards at the annual North Carolina Tourism Industry Association (NCTIA) conference held on Dec. 4-5 at the JB Duke Hotel in Durham.

The CVB won a Gold Award for Best Leisure Marketing for its “Drive for Style” Sweepstakes in partnership with golf and lifestyle apparel company johnnie-O in advance of the 2024 U.S. Open. The organization also won another Gold Award in the Best Community Stakeholder category for its “Paradise in the Pines” podcast. According to NCTIA, a total of 80 entries were submitted from destination marketing organizations from across the state for consideration among four separate categories.

“We are extremely proud to be recognized by NCTIA for our team’s dedicated efforts to highlight and market our amazing destination,” said Phil Werz, president and CEO of the CVB in a press release. “As the official destination marketing organization for Moore County we are storytellers, but without a talented staff and great marketing partners like we have from MediaOne, our success would not be possible. Our job is to tell the world about our little slice of heaven here in the Sandhills, so our visitors and residents can enjoy our unique small towns and tourism-related businesses throughout Moore County.”

NCTIA provides resources for anyone interested in issues relative to North Carolina’s travel and tourism economy. NCTIA members work in lodging, travel promotion, convention and visitor bureaus, attractions, restaurants, outdoor recreation, the media, advertising and public relations, associations, vacation sales and rentals and in companies supplying these businesses.