Battleship North Carolina sees record year, sets large economic footprint


Last week, the Battleship North Carolina reported its highest annual attendance in 10 years. From Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012, 216,438 visitors paid to tour the World War II battleship, which is moored across from downtown Wilmington.

“That’s an amazing number of visitors,” said Capt. Terry Bragg, the ship’s director. “We sort of build around the summer tourism season and go from there.” The 2012 attendance record is the third best since 1995. That year, the battleship recorded its highest attendance ever, with 232,000 visitors coming aboard. Bragg said he attributes the recent increase in visitors to a strengthening of the ship’s programs and educational opportunities, as well as an expanded marketing strategy. The boost in attendance comes just one year after the ship celebrated a half-century in Wilmington.

Bragg said that around 39 percent of the battleship’s visitors came from out of state and just under 60 percent of visitors came from outside the “typical commuting area.” “We’re communicating a very large economic footprint,” Bragg said. “We’re very proud of our high attendance and success.”

Kim Hufham, president and CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches CVB, said the battleship’s high attendance is proof of an increase in tourism overall in Wilmington. “The area is rebounding with tourism and the battleship is such an integral part of that,” Hufham said. “It’s our best known attraction. It’s been here since the early 1960’s and it just plays such an important part in our history. It’s truly an attraction both the young and the old can enjoy. When our attractions do well, we all do well.”

On a side note, Academy-Award winning actor and “Iron Man 3” villain Ben Kingsley visited the battleship this past weekend. The actor requested a private tour of the state historic site due to the ship’s heritage as he’s doing research for a future film that’s currently in development. “He couldn’t get over the state of preservation,” Bragg said. “He didn’t slow down. He had spent a great deal of time researching the battleship and he was gracious and excited.”