Experts discuss “turbo-tourism”

WILMINGTON – Tourists who visit the Carolinas and then return later to stay for good is the topic of a forum being held on the coast.

Experts from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., discuss so-called “turbo-tourists” at the forum on Tuesday on the UNC-Wilmington campus.

One of the speakers is Patrick Mason, co-founder of the Center for Carolina Living.

Mason said the impact of newcomers settling in the Carolinas approaches $30 billion a year with an estimated 39,000 housing transactions annually.

So-called “turbo tourists” are more affluent visitors who vacation in the Carolinas. The turbo effect comes when they move to one of the states, permanently investing in homes and, at times, new businesses.