The North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development announced today that domestic visitors to and within Currituck County spent over $131 million in 2012, an increase of 8.1% from 2011. Currituck had the largest percent increase in visitor spending in North Carolina, as well as the largest increase (5.4%) in direct tourism employment from 2011 to 2012.
Tourism impact highlights for 2012:
- The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 1,400 people in Currituck County.
- Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Currituck was over $23 million.
- State tax revenue generated in Currituck totaled $5.5 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. Approximately $6 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.
Gov. Pat McCrory announced in May that visitors to North Carolina spent a record $19.4 billion in 2012, an increase of 5.4 percent from 2011.
These statistics are from the “2012 Economic Impact Of Travel On North Carolina Counties.” The study was prepared for the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development by the U.S. Travel Association.
Statewide highlights include:
- State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending neared $1 billion in 2012 and have increased 42 percent in the last 10 years.
- Visitors spend more than $53 million per day in North Carolina and contribute over $4.2 million per day in state and local tax revenues as a result of that spending (about $2.7 million in state taxes and $1.6 million in local taxes).
- The travel and tourism industry directly employees nearly 200,000 North Carolinians.
Diane Nordstrom, Director, Currituck County Department of Travel & Tourism – 252-435-2938;dnordstrom@visitcurrituck.com
Margo Metzger, North Carolina Division of Tourism – 919-733-7420; mmetzger@nccommerce.com
