What Randolph County Tourism Development Authority does

The Randolph County Tourism Development Authority (RCTDA) is a public governmental authority established in 1997 by the North Carolina General Assembly through House Bill 337, headquartered in Asheboro, North Carolina. Operating under the consumer-facing brand "Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau," the Authority is the designated destination marketing organization for Randolph County, representing nine municipalities (Archdale, Asheboro, Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman, Seagrove, Staley, and Trinity) and promoting anchor attractions including the NC Zoo, the Seagrove pottery community, Petty Family NASCAR attractions, Uwharrie National Forest, and Kersey Valley.

The Authority delivers destination marketing through a multi-channel platform built on the Simpleview CMS at heartofnorthcarolina.com, supplemented by a free printed Visitor Guide, an e-newsletter program, in-person Visitor Information Services, and two staffed Visitor Centers located on the I-73/74 corridor operated in coordination with the NC Department of Transportation. Its business model is non-commercial: the Authority is funded by a statutory 5% room occupancy and tourism development tax on lodging within Randolph County, with no disclosed fee-for-service revenue line. The organization is led by Executive Director Amber Scarlett (in role since February 2007) and a board chaired by David Caughron, with Rebecca Petty Moffitt as Vice-Chair, supported by approximately seven full-time staff and seven part-time Visitor Services Counselors.

Name

Randolph County Tourism Development Authority

Legal name

Randolph County Tourism Development Authority

Website

https://heartofnorthcarolina.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Randolph County Tourism Development Authority is a publicly-authorized destination marketing organization, established by the NC General Assembly in 1997, that promotes tourism across nine Randolph County municipalities in North Carolina under the "Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau" brand, funded by a 5% room occupancy tax.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Organization

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

MICE & Event DMCs (Meetings/Incentives/Conferences) (THAKAEAB), Inbound DMCs (Full-Service Ground Handling) (THAKAEAA), Corporate Hospitality & VIP Services (Hosting, Protocol, Concierge) (THAHADAG)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• Visitor center services
• Travel guide distribution
• Convention and group tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Development Tax (Occupancy Tax): The Authority is funded by a 5% room occupancy and tourism development tax levied under House Bill 337, authorized by the NC General Assembly on July 28, 1997. Revenue is used to fund destination marketing programs, visitor services, and tourism development initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Randolph County Tourism Development Authority operates as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Randolph County, NC, doing business as the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau. It markets the county's attractions, events, dining, and lodging through a tourism website (heartofnorthcarolina.com), two staffed I-73/74 Visitor Centers, a free printed visitor guide, and an e-newsletter, serving individual visitors, group tour operators, and convention planners across nine municipalities.

Product overview

The Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau operates as a destination marketing organization offering a unified suite of visitor services centered around its main website (HeartofNorthCarolina.com). The core offering is the official tourism website providing comprehensive information about Randolph County attractions including the North Carolina Zoo, Seagrove Pottery (the Handmade Pottery Capital of the United States), Petty Family Attractions, and Uwharrie National Forest. Supporting services include I-73/74 Visitor Centers staffed by the authority, a free visitor guide available by mail, and an e-newsletter for ongoing visitor communications. The organization represents nine municipalities (Archdale, Asheboro, Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman, Seagrove, Staley, and Trinity) and promotes regional tourism through digital platforms and physical visitor services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau Website

Quantifiable outcome

• Promotes Randolph County as a tourist destination to visitors from all 50 states and internationally

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Carolina Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative partnership for operation of I-73/74 Visitor Centers. NCDOT provides rest area facilities and parking; RCTDA staffs and operates the visitor centers with informational staff.
• Simpleview Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering heartofnorthcarolina.com. Simpleview provides destination marketing website technology, CRM, listing management, and digital marketing tools.
• Local Tourism Partners (Photo Credits)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of local businesses providing photography and content including: North Carolina Zoo, Petty Enterprises Historic Site, Seagrove Pottery, Kersey Valley, Millstone Creek Orchards, Holly Ridge Golf Links, and other local attractions.
• Archdale-Trinity Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRepresents Archdale and Trinity on the TDA Board of Directors; contributes to tourism marketing and visitor promotion for the northwest region.
• Asheboro-Randolph Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRepresents the Asheboro area on the TDA Board; supports tourism marketing and economic development for the county seat.
• Randleman Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRepresents Randleman on the TDA Board; home to Petty Family Attractions and NASCAR heritage tourism.
• Liberty ChambercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRepresents Liberty on the TDA Board; supports Liberty Showcase Theater and local heritage tourism.
• North Carolina ZoocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRepresents the North Carolina Zoo on the TDA Board; primary attraction anchor for county tourism.
• Revolutionary Randolph (America 250 Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative initiative for America's 250th anniversary celebration (2026). Website: revolutionaryrandolph.org brings together stories, research, and community efforts to connect Randolph County's Revolutionary War history with nationwide celebrations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Simpleview Inc. Not a peer DMO but the CRM/website platform provider serving RCTDA and a large share of US destination marketing organizations — relevant as the enabling technology infrastructure for the DMO peer set.

Direct peers

• Explore Asheville (Buncombe County TDA): A county-level North Carolina DMO funded by occupancy tax and promoting a multi-municipality region; comparable in funding model and charter, but with a much larger scale and inbound brand profile.
• Visit Raleigh: Wake County's destination marketing organization running a visitor center, visitor guide, and convention sales program — a direct structural analog to RCTDA at the county-DMO level.
• Visit Greensboro (Greensboro Area CVB): A neighboring Piedmont-Triad convention and visitors bureau promoting group tours, meetings, and leisure travel in Guilford County — closely comparable market type and partnership ecosystem.
• Visit Wilmington (New Hanover County TDA): A coastal NC county DMO that, like RCTDA, operates visitor centers, distributes visitor guides, and promotes a multi-municipality region under occupancy-tax funding.
• Outer Banks Visitors Bureau (Dare County): Another NC county DMO operating visitor centers (including at highway entry points, similar to RCTDA's I-73/74 setup) and marketing multiple municipalities on an occupancy-tax base.
• Visit Winston-Salem (Forsyth County): A Piedmont Triad county CVB offering visitor guides, visitor center services, event promotion, and group tour coordination under a structurally identical occupancy-tax funding model.
• Visit Charlotte (Mecklenburg County): Another NC county DMO delivering visitor information, group tour services, and event promotion under a similar occupancy-tax mandate; comparable in operating model but far larger budget and urban anchor.

Broad incumbents

• Visit North Carolina: The statewide destination marketing organization for North Carolina; RCTDA functions as a county-level constituent within Visit NC's state-wide marketing network, sharing mission (destination promotion) and funding-model conventions (occupancy tax).

Regional players

• Brunswick County Tourism: A coastal NC county tourism authority with comparable scale and multi-municipality visitor-center model; competes for the same intra-state leisure traveler set as Randolph County.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart-of-north-carolina-visitors-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Randolph County Tourism Development Authority