More than $36.7 billion was spent on tourism in North Carolina in 2024, a record, and up from $35.6 billion in 2023, according to a press release issued by Gov. Josh Stein this week, which is also being recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week.  

“Today’s news underscores what we all know: North Carolina is a fantastic place to visit,” Stein, a Democrat, said on Wednesday. “As our mountain economies worked to recover from Helene, our Piedmont and coastal destinations remained popular and contributed to the growth of North Carolina’s tourism economy. We must continue to support tourism and small businesses in western North Carolina to help them come back stronger.”

The Tar Heel State came in fifth place in the United States with nearly 40 million visitors, right behind California, Florida, Texas, and New York.

The past four years have seen tight competition with Pennsylvania and Tennessee for fifth place. In addition to 2024’s record spending by domestic travelers, North Carolina also saw gains in international travelers, with more than 900,000, and with spending rising 16.5% to nearly $1.2 billion.

The figures are preliminary findings from research commissioned by Visit North Carolina, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and conducted by Tourism Economics. The research examines several data sources in detail to produce the figures, including the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OmniTrak visitor profiles, the US Census, STR, AirDNA, KeyData lodging reports, and the NC Department of Revenue.

Later this year, a supplemental report will provide regional and local visitor data, offering a better perspective on Helene’s impact on western North Carolina’s tourism economy.

Tourism is a major part of the state’s economy, affecting businesses and communities.

The state’s tourism-supported workforce increased 1.4% to 230,338 jobs in 2024. Tourism payroll increased 2.6% to $9.5 billion. As a result of visitor spending, state and local governments saw rebounds in tax revenues to nearly $2.7 billion.

Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said in the release that North Carolinians in all 100 counties benefit from the money visitors spend.

“From our smallest towns to our largest cities, tourism means jobs for more than 50,000 small businesses and our first-in-talent workforce,” he said. “These workers address travelers’ needs for transportation as well as lodging, dining, shopping, and recreation.”

As a result of travelers’ contributions to state and local tax revenue, North Carolina households average $593 in yearly savings.

A further breakdown shows:

  • Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $36.7 billion in 2024, a 3.1% increase over 2023 expenditures.
  • Domestic travelers spent a record $35.6 billion in 2024, up 2.7% from $34.6 billion in 2023.
  • International travelers spent $1.2 billion in 2024, up 16.5% from the previous year.
  • Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2024, a 2.9% increase from 2023.
  • State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 1.1% to nearly $1.4 billion in 2024.
  • Local tax receipts grew 4.3% to nearly $1.3 billion.
  • Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 1.4% to 230,338.
  • Direct tourism payroll increased 2.6% to $9.5 billion.
  • Visitors spend more than $100 million per day in North Carolina, which adds $7.3 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.7 million in state taxes and $3.6 million in local taxes).
  • Each North Carolina household saved $593 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. Savings per capita averaged $241.

The state’s Welcome Centers will host activities throughout the week.