Visitors to North Carolina opened their wallets a little wider over the last year, state officials said.
Tourists visiting the Tar Heel state spent a record $17 billion in 2010, according to a statement released March 15 by Gov. Bev Perdue’s office. A total of 36.8 million tourists visited the state—a 2.5 percent increase from 2009 that created nearly 2,000 tourism jobs.
At the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Hospitality, Perdue noted the increased spending was a good sign for the state’s economy, adding that North Carolina offers many attractions for visitors.
“We live in a fabulous state with amazing resources,” said Lynn Minges, assistant secretary for tourism, marketing and global branding for the Department of Commerce in an interview Tuesday. “Visitors spend money to support around 40,000 businesses.... The spending [in 2010] has been higher than pre-recession levels, which has been fantastic.”
According to the release, tourists’ spending increased 9 percent from 2009, when spending totaled $15.6 billion. The tourists directly generated more than $1.5 billion in state and local tax revenues, which Minges said will help the state reduce its significant budget deficit.
Based on tourism’s increased contribution to the state economy, Perdue will continue to support funding for state tourist facilities in her planned budget for 2011, said Chris Mackey, press secretary for the governor’s office.
Minges credited the state’s wide variety of attractions, including its Atlantic Coast beaches, Appalachian Mountains and culturally vibrant cities, to the significant increase in tourism and spending.
“I think that is the secret of our success,” she said. “We are a lot of things to a lot of people.”
Durham has also played a role in the state’s tourism growth, said Shelly Green, president and CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, a community organization tasked with attracting visitors and promoting the city. Although the group has not completed compiling data for 2010, Green noted that she expects an increase.
Green also said Durham has attracted two groups of travelers in particular: senior citizens with disposable incomes and people interested in the city’s cultural life. These “cultured travelers” are interested in the Durham Performing Arts Center and Bull City’s renowned restaurants, she added.
But Green noted that business travel to the city is an area in which the city still has room to improve.
“[Business travel] took a huge hit from 2007 to 2009 with the recession,” she said. “It will hopefully pick back up again with the economy.”
In 2011, officials are aiming to attract a younger demographic, Minges said, adding that the Department of Commerce plans to market the state’s offerings through social media platforms.
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