When we talk about economic development in North Carolina, the conversation usually points to residents and corporations. Residents drive local spending and property taxes. Corporations create jobs and expand the tax base with new investments. Government often steps in as a third player through public projects that support growth. But there’s one leg of the stool we too often leave out — tourism.
North Carolina’s growth brings more demand for schools, infrastructure, and public services. Tourism helps ease that burden. Visitors spent nearly $35 billion here last year, fueling billions in tax revenue. In Winston-Salem, tourism generates more than $1 billion annually, creating $72 million in local taxes. Without that outside financial support, the bill for residents would jump significantly and reduce discretionary income.
In a recent conversation I had with Stephanie Pace Brown, CEO of Visit Winston-Salem, she highlighted how tourism multiplies its impact. “Tourism is a team sport,” she reminded me. Every bartender, server, and hotel employee is a community ambassador and they influenced a visitor’s reality. Extraordinary hospitality leads out-of-towners to visit more frequently while potentially inspiring someone to study, work, or even relocate their company to Winston-Salem, or North Carolina as a whole.
Strategic marketing and consistent outreach are also critical. Winston-Salem has leveraged its arts and culinary scene into more than a billion social impressions by hosting journalists, influencers, and event managers. On the state level, Visit North Carolina has ensured our coast, mountains, and city centers are highlighted across the country. This isn’t fluff — it’s economic development that drives dollars into local economies.
Of course, debates about priorities come up. Done right, tourism grows tax revenue that can then be reinvested into local priorities, while sustaining the businesses and amenities that make communities livable. Growth in one sector fuels growth in another.
Tourism also creates careers. Running hotels, operating restaurants, or leading organizations such as Visit Winston-Salem are all viable career paths. And our universities and community colleges are in a perfect position to expand training in hospitality, culinary arts, and tourism marketing. Beyond jobs, there’s opportunity for entrepreneurs — new companies that design tours, events, and services aimed at visitors. For many North Carolinians, tourism can be more than a paycheck — it can be a path to ownership and leadership.
Tourism is also catalytic. A family that comes for a mountain weekend may later buy a second home. A CEO who vacations on our coast might decide to move his company here after experiencing the culture, energy, and hospitality firsthand. In that sense, tourism is a front door to broader economic recruitment.
For rural counties, tourism can be a game changer. Many small towns don’t have a Fortune 500 employer, but they do have assets — vineyards in the Yadkin Valley, historic districts in the east, or outdoor recreation in the mountains. Visitor dollars reduce pressure on residents while funding services that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
The spending patterns tell the story. About one-third of visitor dollars go directly to restaurants and bars, another third to retail and transportation, and roughly 20% to lodging. That means the pizza joint in Asheboro or the oyster bar in Wilmington benefit just as much — if not more — than a national hotel chain.
North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. That growth will continue to place new demands on housing inventory, infrastructure, and public services. If we’re serious about building a stable foundation for the future, then tourism must be recognized as a core leg of the economic development stool — just as important as residents, corporations, and government.
Because when someone visits North Carolina, they may only be coming for a weekend. But if we get it right, they might decide to stay for a lifetime.