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Visitor spending rises in 98 of 100 North Carolina counties in 2010
Story Date: 8/17/2011
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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 8/16/11
Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that 98 of the state’s 100 counties saw increases in visitor spending in 2010, including 13 counties that had double-digit increases. Data from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development showed that three counties had more than a billion dollars in visitor spending in 2010 (Mecklenburg, Wake and Guilford), while Dare, Buncombe, Forsyth, and Durham counties all had more than half a billion in spending.
Domestic visitors to and within North Carolina spent a record $17 billion in 2010, an increase of 9 percent from 2009. Visitor expenditures directly generated 183,880 jobs and nearly $4 billion in payroll income within North Carolina in 2010. Visitor spending in the state also directly generated close to $1.5 billion in tax revenue for state and local governments in 2010, up 10 percent from 2009.
“North Carolina has invested in education, transportation and infrastructure, helping create a terrific quality of life,” Gov. Perdue said. “That progress is attracting people and businesses to move here; and, as we see from this data, it also is drawing more tourists and visitors each year, fueling the tourism industry, a critical economic driver in North Carolina.”
The visitor spending figures are the results of an annual study commissioned by the Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development and conducted by the U.S. Travel Association. The study uses sales and tax revenue data plus employment figures to determine the overall impact of visitor spending in North Carolina. Highlights include:
• Mecklenburg County received more than $3.7 billion in domestic travelers’ expenditures to lead all of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Wake County ranked second with more than $1.5 billion, followed by Guilford County with more than $1.0 billion.
• All but two counties saw increases in visitor spending from 2009 to 2010 (those two counties saw less than 1% decline; Northampton -0.7% and Columbus -0.1%)
• Three counties had more than a billion in visitor spending in 2010 (Mecklenburg, Wake and Guilford), while Dare, Buncombe, Forsyth, and Durham counties all had more than half a billion in spending.
• Mecklenburg County directly employs the most tourism employees with more than 41,000 and has the largest total payroll ($1.3 billion). Wake (18,430), Guilford (11,440) and Dare (11,260) each have more than 10,000 direct tourism employees.
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