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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 5/6/13
Governor Pat McCrory is proclaiming May 4-12, 2013, as Tourism Week in North Carolina, joining destinations across the state to celebrate travel and tourism as a record-breaking industry that is vital to the economic stability and growth of the state. North Carolina ranks as the sixth most visited state in the country.
Newly released figures from the U.S. Travel Association show that in 2012, domestic visitor spending reached a record $19.4 billion, a 5.4 percent increase that outpaced the industry’s national growth rate of 4.4 percent. Direct tourism employment in North Carolina grew nearly 3 percent, and state tax receipts as a result of visitor spending approached $1 billion.
“We attracted 45.4 million travelers from across the United States last year,” Governor McCrory said. “The money spent on visits to our mountains, beaches, cities and places in between directly supported nearly 194,000 jobs and more than 40,000 businesses. We can be proud that the quality of North Carolina’s travel experiences makes us the sixth most visited state in the nation.”
N.C. Commerce Secretary Sharon Allred Decker noted the importance of travel and tourism to growing jobs.
“Communities in all of the state’s 100 counties benefit from tourism and the jobs that the industry supports,” Secretary Decker said. “Each North Carolina household saves $423 annually in state and local taxes as a result of taxes generated by visitor expenditures.”
Preliminary results from the annual study conducted by the U.S. Travel Association show that visitors spent more than $53 million per day in North Carolina last year and contributed more than $4.2 million per day in state and local tax revenues as a result of that spending.
Tourism Week in North Carolina is part of National Travel & Tourism Week, which also runs May 4-12. The state’s nine Welcome Centers will be hosting activities throughout the week.
Tourism Facts
§ Domestic travelers spent a record $19.4 billion in 2012, up from $18.4 billion in 2011. That’s an increase of 5.4 percent, well ahead of the national rate of 4.4 percent.
§ In 2012, total visitor volume was 45.4 million, up 2.7 percent from 2011.North Carolina is the sixth most visited state for domestic travel.
§ North Carolina’s domestic market share increased from 3.8 to 4 percent, the highest since 2009.
§ For every $1 invested by the Division of Tourism in paid media advertising, North Carolina receives $191 in new visitor spending, $10.31 in new state taxes and $6.25 in new local taxes.
§ For every $1 invested by the Division of Tourism in paid media advertising, one trip is generated to the state.
§ More than 40,000 businesses in North Carolina directly provide products and services to travelers, with travelers directly contributing more than 25 percent to their total products and services.
§ State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending reached $970.4 million in 2012, compared with $959.6 million in 2011. That modest 1.1 percent growth followed a decrease in the state sales tax, from 5.75 percent to 4.75 percent, that took effect in July 2011.
§ State tax receipts have increased 42 percent in the last 10 years.
§ Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased nearly 3 percent, to 193,600. The majority of the growth was in the food service sector, followed by lodging and retail employment growth.
§ Direct tourism payroll increased 4.7 percent to $4.4 billion.
§ For every dollar spent by travelers to North Carolina, 25 cents in wage and salary income is generated for North Carolina residents.
§ Visitors spend more than $53 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds more than $4.2 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $2.7 million in state taxes and $1.6 million in local taxes).
§ Each North Carolina household saves $423 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.
§ North Carolina enjoys a nearly 17-to-1 return on investment of tax dollars invested in paid media advertising through the Division of Tourism.
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