As National Travel and Tourism Week comes to a close on Saturday, Governor Roy Cooper announced this week that the North Carolina tourism economy reached its highest level ever, with travelers spending more than $33.3 billion on trips to and within the state.
The previous record of $29.22 billion was set in pre-pandemic 2019.
“Tourism is a vital economic force in our state supporting thousands of small businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs,” Cooper said. “We can take pride that visitors see North Carolina as a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming place, and we all need to work to keep it that way.”
Locally, Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Lori Medin said, “This year, we’re moving forward by spotlighting travel’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating diverse communities, creating job opportunities, and inspiring new businesses.”
North Carolina has invested hundreds of millions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan into helping the tourism industry to recover and thrive following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Whether funding business recovery grants, the Moonshine to Motorsports Trail, or investing in tourism marketing, the state is committed to supporting the tourism industry’s return to record-breaking heights,” the North Carolina Department of Commerce said.
The state’s tourism-supported workforce increased by 9.8 percent to 216,900 jobs in 2022.
That figure reverses the more than 26 percent loss in employment suffered in 2020. Tourism payroll increased 13.5 percent to $8.7 billion. Also, due to visitor spending, state and local governments saw rebounds in tax revenues to nearly $2.5 billion.
“The HCCVB strives to create a culture where new and existing tourism-related businesses can be successful,” Medlin said. “They are the destination marketing organization for Halifax County.”
Established in 1983, National Travel and Tourism Week — May 7 through 13 — is an annual tradition to celebrate the United States travel community and travel’s essential role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating communities, creating job opportunities, inspiring new businesses and elevating the quality of life for Americans.
