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PRESS RELEASE

2016 Booming Tourism Industry Helps Set New Record for Wayne County

County Spending by Domestic Visitors Increases by 3.9 Percent to $162.31 million

Visit North Carolina announced today that domestic visitors to and within Wayne County spent $162.31 million in 2016, an increase of 3.9% from 2015.

“Years of growing demand and rising average daily rates in our hotel market has put Goldsboro-Wayne County on a record breaking streak over the last 5 years. The wave of economic development in our area is also telling of our strengthening travel industry. After a $15 million revitalization of our historic downtown in 2015 and over 40 new restaurants, retail and commercial companies opening in the last 3 years, Goldsboro-Wayne County is rapidly becoming an attractive destination offering a more dynamic experience for our visitors and residents. We only expect to continue this positive trend as we open the doors to The Maxwell Center and Goldsboro Multi-Sport Complex in 2018.” -Ashlin Glatthar, Director of Travel & Tourism for Goldsboro & Wayne County

Wayne County tourism impact highlights for 2016:

  • The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 1,000 in Wayne County.
  • Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Wayne County was $22.3 million.
  • State and local tax revenues from travel to Wayne County totaled $12.48 million.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced in May that visitors to North Carolina set a record for spending in 2016. The $22.9 billion in total spending represented an increase of 4.4 percent from 2015.

These statistics are from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2016,” which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by the U.S. Travel Association.

“All eight economic development regions of the state had spending growth of 3 percent or more, and 96 percent of the state’s counties saw direct tourism employment growth from 2015 to 2016,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “Tourism continues to be major driver of economic development across North Carolina, which is the sixth most-visited state in the country.”

Statewide highlights include:

  • State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 5.1 percent to nearly $1.2 billion in 2016.
  • Visitors spend more than $62 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds more than $5.1 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.2 million in state taxes and $1.9 million in local taxes).
  • The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 219,000 North Carolinians.
  • Each North Carolina household saves $497 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.

CONTACT:

Ashlin Glatthar

Director of Travel & Tourism Goldsboro-Wayne County

919-734-7922 │ aglatthar@goldsboronc.gov

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