Seeking rebound, Ocracoke shells out $125,000 on tourism advertising deal

OCRACOKE, N.C. — Ocracoke wants the world to know how unique it is, from its very old lighthouse to the place where Blackbeard was killed, especially after a couple of tough years from Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ocracoke Tourism Development Authority has contracted for $125,000 with Theorem, a promotional agency out of Raleigh. The contract runs until June 30.

“We want people to know that Ocracoke is a beach destination different from all other beaches,” said Helena Stevens, director of the authority.

The narrow island of about 950 people is 16 miles long with wide, uncrowded beaches managed mostly by the National Park Service.

Local shops, restaurants and motels operate along slender streets of the small village at the south end. Walking, biking or a golf cart are better for getting around than a car.

Built in 1823, the lighthouse is second-oldest continuously operating beacon in the nation. Blackbeard, meanwhile, was killed on Nov. 22, 1718, offshore from Springer’s Point, not far from Ocracoke village.

The agency promises to create a higher profile for Ocracoke, focusing on some of the unique sites, according to the release.

“There are few places in this country that are truly unique,” Theorem founder Scott Scaggs said in the release. “Ocracoke Island is certainly one of those places. We look forward to creating a campaign that captures its personality.”

Among the best measurements for a successful campaign are social media interaction, ferry traffic and occupancy taxes, Stevens said.

Occupancy taxes, a percentage collected by the county from lodging costs, fell to $410,000 in 2017 from $454,500 the previous year. The latest occupancy tax figures were not immediately available.

Ferries are the primary means of getting to the island.

The number of ferry passengers to Ocracoke from Hatteras Island has fallen from 613,265 in 2016 to 320,711 so far this year, according to counts by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. The number of passengers has decreased by more than 100,000 since last year.

The traditional ferry route shoaled with sand about six years ago forcing vessels to take a longer route to Ocracoke. The longer route reduced the number of trips and the tally of tourists.

Hurricane Dorian struck in September 2019, ceasing ferry operations between Hatteras Island and Ocracoke for tourism traffic through most of November 2019.

All but a handful of businesses were flooded by the storm surge and it took months to rebuild. Some places are still making repairs.

Then, the pandemic slowed ferry traffic and cut visitor numbers again this year.

“We’ve begun to rebound, but we still have work to do,” Stevens said.