New data from Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, shows that domestic visitor spending increased in 91 of the state’s 100 counties in 2015.
Visitors spent a record $21.9 billion statewide last year, an increase of nearly 3 percent from the previous year.
“Tourism is a major force in North Carolina’s economic development,” Gov. Pat McCrory said. “The industry is fueling a continued growth in jobs and contributing substantial sums to the state budget and local economies in every corner of our great state.”
The visitor spending figures come from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina and conducted by the U.S. Travel Association. The study uses sales and tax revenue data, employment figures and other industry and economic data to determine the overall impact of visitor spending in North Carolina.
Visitor expenditures in 2015 directly supported 211,487 jobs and generated nearly $5.3 billion in payroll income across North Carolina. State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending topped $1.1 billion, and local tax revenues directly resulting from visitor spending totaled more than $660 million.
“Nothing compares with our state’s diverse natural beauty and rewarding experiences at every turn,” North Carolina Commerce Secretary Skvarla said. “We can take pride in North Carolina’s position as the sixth most-visited state in the nation with nearly 55 million visitors last year.”
Full tables showing county-by-county tourism impact figures can be accessed here. Highlights of the 2015 totals include:
- Mecklenburg County ranked first among North Carolina’s 100 counties, receiving $5 billion in domestic travelers’ expenditures. Wake County ranked second with $2.1 billion, followed by Guilford County with $1.3 billion and Dare with $1.1 billion. Buncombe County, for the first time, topped $1 billion in visitor spending.
- The largest year-over-year percent increases in visitor spending were seen in Polk (11.8 percent), Cherokee (7.8 percent), Vance (4.7 percent), Henderson (4.7 percent) and Union (4.6 percent) counties. Montgomery, Catawba and Cleveland counties followed with a 4.5 percent increase each. Rounding out the top 10 in largest increases were Richmond and Pasquotank counties (4.4 percent).
- Positive spending growth was seen throughout the state’s economic development regions. The Western (3.9 percent) and North Central (3.3 percent) regions experienced the strongest growth, yet all eight regions had spending growth of 2 percent or more.
- Mecklenburg County had the largest number of direct tourism employees (49,870) and the largest payroll ($1.7 billion). Four other counties had more than 10,000 direct tourism employees: Wake (21,897), Guilford (13,127), Dare (12,711) and Buncombe (10,637).
- Ninety-two percent of the state’s counties saw direct tourism employment growth in 2015. Counties with the largest year-over-year increases in direct tourism employment were Polk (12.1 percent), Cherokee (7.4 percent), Vance (5.0 percent), Union (4.9 percent), Montgomery (4.8 percent), Richmond (4.7 percent) and Pasquotank (4.7 percent).
The release of the 2015 study comes a week after McCrory announced that visitation to North Carolina’s state sites, attractions and museums in fiscal year 2015-16, which ended June 30, is up 7.7 percent compared to fiscal year 2014-15. Total visitation to the state’s natural and cultural sites increased by nearly 1.8 million visitors.
In addition, the 11.7 million visitors to the North Carolina State Parks system through the end of July is up 10 percent over midsummer visitation in 2015, according to the governor’s office. Total state parks visitation in 2015 was a record 17.3 million.
Kudos to Nancy Wilson….she is the primary reason for this GOOD NEWS for Vance Co. I’m quite sure visitors aren’t coming to Vance Co. to glance at the dilapidated houses & pot hole filled roads. Publius, since you have so many brilliant ideas(not really) how about contacting your city manager(who lives in Granville Co.) & explain to him that you can’t con’t to patch holes on roads…..you actually have to fix them sometimes!!!
Finally some good news for Vance Co……congrats…..it’s been a VERY long time coming!
Okay HiH troll…a.k.a. Publius you can attack my posts!! I’ll be waiting……NOT!!
#FINALLY
#SMH
Happy to.
Drop dead Decept!
#Decept
#is
#a
#jerk
Publius,
How about you start referring to me as your “puppet master” b/c all of the trolls on HiH know I have the ability to pull your strings! You never post 1 comment unless it’s a rebuttal to a post I submit. Do you agree? Probably not…but look back at your past 25-30 rants, er posts. They have all been a direct response to something I posted earlier. So whatcha say Mr. Hardee Club member? Care to acknowledge me as your puppet master?
#deceptionispubliuspuppetmaster
#deceptionpullspublius’strings
#publiuscan’tpostideasofhisown
#who’sdaboss?
#SMH
#HappySunday2umylil’puppet
#ROFLMAO
I’m not trying to rebut anything you say. When you insult me, I insult back
Drop dead Decept. You’re annoying.
#Decept
#Is
#A
#Jerk
You lost me with that comment….I usually post things I’ve read or seen about Henderson or Vance Co either in print or on the news. You troll HiH until you see something I have posted and you go on your tirade. You usually cast the 1st stone since you are evidently perfect & it goes from there. My point is that your posts offer nothing informative to HiH….your posts are childish @ best!!!
#lethewhoisperfectcastthe1ststone
#areyouindenial
#SMH
Drop dead Decept, you’re lost on everything.
Drop dead Decept, you’re lost on everything!
Publius,
You only have to hit the publish button once buddy…..give it a few seconds & your comments will post. Guess you were in the Boone’s Farm again huh?
On a lighter note, Phil the new website is amazing! Job well done!!
#HiHrocks
#publiusnotontherocksplease
#SMH
First, drop dead Decept,
Then go to hell!
#Decept
#Is
#A
#Jerk
Publius, since your vocabulary is seemingly very limited I have decided that you’re not on my level intellectually & I was told by a very wise man that you shouldn’t pick on those less fortunate than you nor should you pick on those who aren’t quite as smart as you. You have made both points time & time again so with that being said I only have 1 more comment to you.
Publius…….you are the WEAKEST LINK!!! GOOD BYE!!! It would have been funner to carry on with you if you were a lil’ smarter & could actually argue your point of view. Let me guess? You were educated in the Vance Co. School System? That would explain it all but you’re never too old to learn(if you can lay off the Boone’s Farm)!!!
#AA
#weakestlink
#goodriddance
#havefunwithyourcheapwine
#SMH
had to look up that ‘funner’. Here’s what I found.
Funner (from Urban Dictionary)
The dumb person’s way of saying ‘more fun’
What do you
say D, “you can’t make this stuff up!”
So you’re scurrying away? Good idea, Decept. You were running out of material.
“1 more comment.” Sure Decept, you’ll coming running back when your kick-dog runs away.
#Decept
#Is
#A
# Lil’
# Pansy boy.
Mingo,
Mr. Bright One……what does the urban dictionary say about “you’ll coming running back”? That’s a direct quote from your hero Publius!
And no……you can’t make this stuff up!!
Wow, Decept! Four hours and fourth one minutes you sat before your keyboard steaming and plotting your revenge. Such a stubborn fortitude is rare these days! I salute you my friend!
Was there a post #14? I looked at it but couldn’t decipher it b/c it was from someone with whom I’ve decided that I will not play his childish games anymore!!
I stand by everyone of my posts. To the poster of post #14 Show me and the HiH readers ONE POST that you have posted on HiH that was either informative or educational. I can help you with the counting………start at ZERO and you will finish at the same number. You are a bitter old man who probably lives alone and may or may not speak or wave to your neighbors but whatever made you so bitter you need to get over yourself.
I challenge you to go back over all your posts and show ONE POST that was either informational or educational. I’d bet my last goat you can’t b/c your posts are usually shots that you take at me for pointing out that you live in a dump of a city/county. I can’t help you’re stuck there. Try your luck at the lottery….you never know! Maybe you can strike it rich and you won’t be stuck in that dump you call home!!
#ZEROPOSTS
#COUNTEM&SEE
#IWILLBEPROVENRIGHTAGAIN
#SMH
I am impressed that you do have 1 fan in Mingo. He was quick to point out a definition out of the urban dictionary but not so quick to point out your quote that read “you’ll coming running back”. Let me guess? Is he one of your Hardee’s buddies or one of your Boone’s buddies?
Drop dead, Decep. Most everyone on this site loathes you. They secretly applaud when I expose your rotten dirty soul. Has anyone come forward to defend you? Give us a report. Thank you my friend!
For the last time….produce 1 post where you offer something informative or educational!! Ray Charles can see that you can’t produce 1 post b/c you have never posted anything informative or educational.
#iamdonewiththisidiot
#AA
Neither one of you are contributing anything at all other than hatefullness towards each other and driving everyone else away
Aaaaaaaargh!