RALEIGH – According to new research released as preliminary findings by the U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics, North Carolina saw a 26.6 percent decrease in generated federal, state, and local taxes due to visitor spending in the state during 2020 as direct tourism-industry employment dropped 26.4 percent with approximately 64,760 jobs lost in the industry during 2020.
Despite the global coronavirus pandemic, North Carolina tourists spent nearly $20 billion in the state in 2020, with virtually all of that amount coming from domestic travelers, the report found. In total, 37 million visitors visited sites, cities, and parks in North Carolina in 2020.
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“The recovery of our tourism industry is essential to the state’s economic well-being,” said North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “More than 45,000 small businesses across North Carolina rely on what visitors spend, on everything from lodging and dining to transportation, recreation and retail. Jobs across all 100 counties need visitors to thrive.” In a statement shared by the Department of Commerce, Secretary Sanders noted that as a result of travelers’ contributions to state and local tax revenue, each North Carolina resident realizes about $170 in yearly savings.
