North Carolina is now the fifth most visited state for tourism in 2023, up from sixth position in 2022. This occurred as the summer season began on Memorial Day, which marks the beginning of the summer season. Tourism Economics was the organization that was tasked with carrying out the research that was commissioned by Visit North Carolina, which is a component of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
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After exceeding the previous record of $33.3 billion that was set in 2022, the North Carolina Department of Commerce has issued a press statement stating that approximately 43 million people have spent more than $35.6 billion on travels to and within the state.
Data from a variety of sources, such as the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, OmniTrak visitor profiles, the United States Census, STR, AirDNA, and KeyData lodging records, as well as the North Carolina Department of Revenue, were utilized in the compilation of the research.
This announcement comes during National Travel and Tourism Week, which will take place from May 19th to May 25th. During this time, the state’s Welcome Centers will provide a variety of activities.
Additionally, the workforce associated with tourism in the state expanded by 4.8 percent to a total of 227,200 employees in the year 2023. Payroll in the tourism industry climbed by 6.6%, reaching $9.3 billion.
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In addition, an increase in tax collections to over $2.6 billion was seen by state and local governments as a direct result of the spending of tourists. Machelle Baker Sanders, the Secretary of Commerce for the state of North Carolina, stated that the contributions that travelers make to the state and local tax collections have resulted in an average annual savings of $518 for North Carolina households.
She stated that the money that tourists spend on activities in North Carolina’s smallest communities and major cities is beneficial to the citizens of all 100 counties in the state. “Tourism creates employment opportunities for over 50,000 small enterprises and our workforce is among the most talented in the country. Travelers’ demands for transportation, housing, food, shopping, and recreational activities are all met by these personnel.
The state of North Carolina is ranked fourth in the country for domestic visiting, behind only California, Florida, Texas, and New York. The race for fifth place has been fierce over the past four years, with Pennsylvania and Tennessee coming in close second and third, respectively.
North Carolina had growth in the overseas market in addition to the record domestic travel spending that occurred in 2023. The amount of money spent increased by 9.5% to $997 million, thanks to the approximately 700,000 different overseas travelers.
The website provides access to additional information regarding the study, as well as links to reports that have been archived dating back to 2005.