Wayne County tourism experienced a 4 percent uptick
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on September 2, 2018 3:05 AM
Tourism spending in Wayne County grew more than 4 percent in 2017 over the previous year, according to a statement released by Visit North Carolina.
Domestic visitors to and within Wayne County spent $169.32 million in 2017, a 4.5-percent increase over the previous year, the statement read.
Ashlin Glatthar, director of travel and tourism for Goldsboro and Wayne County, said reasons for the increase are evident.
"Whether you've spent time in revitalized downtown Goldsboro or recently driven through any part of Wayne County, the change is obvious," Glatthar said. "As we look to the future, we only hope for growth caused by economic development. Fortunately for us, the Maxwell Center, Bryan Multisports Complex, continued streetscape projects in downtown Goldsboro, and even the new R&R Brewery in downtown Mount Olive position Wayne County to continue its record-breaking streak."
Glatthar said that the success of downtown Goldsboro has been a contributing factor to the increased tourism the city has seen.
"With downtown just being mentioned more, winning awards, people are traveling here for that," she said.
Not all of the county's tourism growth came from people enjoying what Wayne County has to offer. Glatthar said the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 led to thousands of cumulative nights spent in hotel rooms by displaced residents, recovery teams and repair crews.
The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 1,000 people in Wayne County and generated $24.24 million in payroll during 2017.
Wayne County generated $10.6 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. About $2.63 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from businesses which rely on travel.
The increase in Wayne County tourism revenue mirrors a boost in tourism across the state. According to a study by the U.S. Travel Association titled "Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2017," visitors to N.C spent $23.99 billion in 2017, a 4.2-percent increase over 2016.
"All eight economic development regions of the state had spending growth of 3 percent or more, and 90 percent of the state's counties saw direct tourism employment growth from 2016 to 2017," 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."
Across the state, the travel and tourism industry employs more than 225,000 people, according to the economic impact report. Visitors spend more than $65 million per day in NC, adding around $5.38 million per day to state and local tax revenues.
Glatthar said that Goldsboro and Wayne County residents should feel a sense of accomplishment over how tourism recently has grown in the area.
"We are on a record-breaking streak, we've shown growth every year since 2008, and people should be proud of that," she said. "I just want people to feel proud of their community."