New Hanover County welcomed just under 5 million visitors last year, tourism officials said at a travel rally Wednesday. Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau, shared the number during an update on the state of local tourism at the CVB’s 2026 Travel Rally Day Breakfast & Celebration. Held at the Cameron Ar ...

When Rube McMullan purchased land along the Shallotte River in Ocean Isle Beach, he had a clear vision to create a business that would coexist with the natural environment. Incorporating the beauty of the wooded surroundings and swamp waters, McMullan opened The Swamp Park, a nature-oriented eco park, in June 2015. Located at 5550 Watts Road SW, the park features the lo ...

On a sunny Friday afternoon last month, guests staying at The Cove Riverwalk Villas in downtown Wilmington loaded luggage onto golf carts. Cove employees drove them from a nearby parking garage to The Cove's docks off Nutt Street. Downtown Wilmington's shortage of hotel rooms has led some visitors and convention participants to choose a unique option — ren ...

Wilmington’s first social district is set to become a weekly event, following approval from city officials this week. In September, the Wilmington City Council green-lighted a social district in the Brooklyn Arts District on the first and third Saturdays of each month from noon to 5 p.m. Earlier this month, area business owners formally asked the city to allow the ...

The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s over $70 million renovation project will begin next month.  The aquarium will undergo a substantial 30-month renovation, according to a press release issued Friday. Plans include adding a 400,000-gallon sand shark habitat, a 10,000-gallon Pacific coral habitat, an interactive shark and ray touch pool featuring benthic s ...

The Cove Riverwalk Villas, a community of luxury houseboat rentals docked in downtown Wilmington’s Port City Marina, is growing. The first phase of The Cove’s 40 houseboats was completed about two years ago, and a second phase of 31 houseboats is under construction, with the first completed units already docked in the marina. The expansion aims to meet th ...

Cool Wilmington owners James Christopher and his wife, Andrella, have made it their mission to bring people out to experience all that Wilmington has to offer. As the city’s business districts have grown, so has the desire for events that drive people to them. These curated experiences showcase local businesses in hopes of turning first-timers into loyal customers ...

After the locally filmed Amazon original series The Summer I Turned Pretty debuted, officials saw immediate evidence that the show would drive interest in the area. “Searches online for Wilmington, North Carolina, peaked exponentially,” said Johnny Griffin, director of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission. “There was no other factor, no other explan ...

Social shooting club Sanctum 1791 in Holly Ridge gives the area shooting community a place to call their own. “Shooters outnumber golfers,” according to the private club’s founder Chris Buffalino, but there are few, if any, golf club-like facilities for shooters. “After stumbling upon a farm, an old hog farm, I had the idea to build a place to sh ...

Wilmington International Airport officials are laying the groundwork for future growth, with plans for a terminal expansion, an expanded baggage area and airfield improvements slated for the coming years. The proposed capital projects, along with planned private investment in the airport's adjacent business park, are expected to result in investment of more than $49 ...