Visitor Spending in Craven County Showed Continual Growth for 2017
NEW BERN-CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. – Domestic visitors to and within Craven County spent $142.10 million in 2017, an increase of 3.7 percent from 2016, Visit North Carolina announced last week. This is a record high for visitor spending in Craven County based on data collected back to 1990.
According to “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2017,” prepared for Visit North Carolina by the U.S. Travel Association, the travel and tourism industry directly employed more than 1,170 people in Craven County. Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Craven County was $29.06 million in 2017. State tax revenue in Craven County totaled $7.79 million through state sales and excise taxes, as well as income taxes. Local taxes generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses totaled $3.13 million.
“It’s great seeing success in North Carolina’s travel and tourism industry throughout the state and we are looking forward to continued growth in the coming year,” said Mary McGee, with the New Bern-Craven County Convention and Visitor Center. New Bern-Craven County will continue to focus on our mission to invite and welcome all travelers to Craven County with our targeted advertising and marketing efforts in 2018.”
Governor Roy Cooper announced in May that visitors to North Carolina set a record in 2017 spending a total of $23.9 billion, representing a 4.2 percent increase from 2016. State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 3.1 percent to top $1.2 billion. Visitors spent more than $65 million per day in North Carolina in 2017, adding nearly $5.36 million per day to state and local tax revenues. The state’s travel and tourism industry directly employed more than 225,700 people across more than 45,000 businesses in North Carolinian. Each North Carolina household saves an average of $512 in state and local taxes annually as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.
“All eight economic development regions of the state had spending growth of 3 percent or more, and 90 percent of the state’s counties saw direct tourism employment growth from 2016 to 2017,” said Wit Tuttell, Executive Director of Visit North Carolina. “Tourism continues to be a major driver of economic development across North Carolina, which is the sixth most-visited state in the country.”
Visit North Carolina is a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina with the mission to unify and lead the state in positioning North Carolina as a preferred destination for travelers and film production and in maximizing economic vitality statewide. Additional statistics from “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2017,” can be accessed at www.partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies.
The New Bern-Craven County Convention and Visitor Center continues to implement an innovative approach to attracting tourists to Craven County, positioning the area as a destination to excel in a highly competitive market. The Convention and Visitor Center welcomes visitors from all over the world each year interested in visiting historic sites and attractions in New Bern and Havelock, as well as business travelers, convention attendees, day-trip guests, campers, sporting event attendees and weekend getaway visitors. For additional information on all Craven County has to offer, visit our website, www.VisitNewBern.com.