County Spending by Domestic Visitors Increases by 5.67 Percent to $178.92 million
Visit North Carolina announced domestic visitors to and within Wayne County spent $178.92 million in 2018, an increase of 5.67% from 2017.
“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 7 years. It comes as no surprise that 2018 experienced the most significant increase when comparing year over year. Both the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex and the Maxwell Center opened in spring 2018 and are the biggest contributors to our growth in visitation last year. We also see a correlation between the economic success of downtown Goldsboro and the increase of travel of in our market. Furthermore, our department has increased its marketing and public relations efforts that has led to the growing awareness and interest to visit Goldsboro-Wayne County for sports, meetings, and leisure.” -Ashlin Glatthar, Director of Travel & Tourism for Goldsboro & Wayne County
To learn more about the economic impact of the Bryan Multi-Sports Complex, visit here: https://www.visitgoldsboronc.com/wp-content/uploads/BMSC-Economic-Impact-Report-1st-operating-year-1.pdf
To learn more about the economic impact of the Maxwell Center, visit here: https://www.visitgoldsboronc.com/wp-content/uploads/Maxwell-Center-2019_Economic-Impact-Report-FINAL.pdf
Wayne County tourism impact highlights for 2018:
- The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 1,100 in Wayne County.
- Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Wayne County was $25.5 million.
- State and local tax revenues from travel to Wayne County totaled $13.86 million.
These statistics are from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2018,” 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.
Statewide highlights include:
- State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending neared $1.3 billion in 2018.
- 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).
- Visitor expenditures directly supported more than 230,000 jobs and generated more than $6.3 billion in payroll income across North Carolina.
- Each North Carolina household saves $532 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.
Noting that North Carolina ranks sixth in the nation for overnight visitation, Visit NC Executive Director Wit Tuttell said the spending growth in all 100 counties confirmed the appeal of the state’s destinations. “There’s a lot of competition for travelers’ time and money,” Tuttell said. “But people come to North Carolina when they know about the state’s natural beauty, our residents’ welcoming spirit, and the irresistible mix of tradition and innovation.”
###
CONTACT:
Ashlin Glatthar
Director of Travel & Tourism Goldsboro-Wayne County
919-734-7922
