TORONTO — What better way to celebrate Canada Day and the start of summer than with a contest?

Visit North Carolina wants to wish all of its travel agent partners a Happy Canada Day – and to do that, they’re launching a contest with travel agents in mind.

The contest runs June 30 – July 25, 2021.

To enter, visit the contest landing page here, where you’ll find a question about North Carolina. Then head to VisitNC.com – that’s where you’ll find the answer. Go back to the contest landing page and enter your answer for your chance to win. It’s that easy!

Here’s the prize, valued at Cdn$4,000: a holiday for two to North Carolina with airfare, car rental and hotel. “The trip could be your ticket to get back better place, to restore inner peace and inspire the return of your own best self,” says Visit North Carolina.

The prize trip showcases North Carolina to full effect. It starts with time in Raleigh, a city to savour for culinary excellence, in everything from barbecue to farm-fresh fare from celebrated chefs. Then it’s time to go with the flow of craft beer and creativity on a journey from a downtown humming with energy to a museum park that expands the mind across 65 hectares. Next up: the Outer Banks, a destination shaped by the winds. Wondrous beauty and monumental history await with dune-lined beaches, towering lighthouses, and adventure borne on air and water.

For more North Carolina vacation inspiration, check out these trip ideas from Visit North Carolina…

Immersive mountain beauty: Lighten your load of worries as you hike to the loftiest peaks in Eastern North America and drink in the view at hundreds of waterfalls. Become part of the scenery with a dip in a swimming hole, a raft ride down rushing rapids, or a relaxing float trip on a lazy river.

Beaches that sweep you off your feet: Dunes line a 515-kilometre Atlantic shoreline where wild horses, climbable lighthouses, and adventure plays out on land, in the water and in the air. Capture the sense of infinite possibility at the place where the Wright Brothers flew and let your inner pirate play on a coast where Blackbeard and other buccaneers moored.

Cities of invention (and reinvention): Take inspiration from artists, scientists, and culinary craftsmen who shape forward-looking experiences from the storied past. Follow city streets to urban trails that combine recreation, whimsy and monumental installations in sustainability-conscious landscapes.

Glorious golf: Place yourself on courses designed and played by the best in the sport. In the Pinehurst area, the ‘home of American golf,’ find the fabled Pinehurst No. 2 among 40 courses in a 25-kilometre radius. The Brunswick Islands offer more than 30 championship courses, and the mountains tee up jaw-dropping views at Sequoyah National in Cherokee, the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, and other spots.

Impressive adventure: Three world-class companies establish the sense of possibility for thrill seekers. Kitty Hawk Kites, home of the world’s largest hang-gliding school, also has you covered for kiteboarding, parasailing, surfing, SUP and more. The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, which boasts the world’s longest artificial whitewater river, also excels at climbing, flatwater adventure, ziplines and trails activities. Bryson City-based Nantahala Outdoor Center, recognized by National Geographic as one of the greatest outfitters on Earth, specializes in whitewater adventure on the Nantahala River as well as zip lines, treetop adventures, hiking and biking.

Ready to get back to a better place, and find yourself in North Carolina? More destination information is at VisitNC.com. And to enter the contest, click here.