NC Breaks tourism spending record, continues to be #5 most visited state
RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Governor Josh Stein announced today that the overall North Carolina tourism economy held strong against the headwinds of Hurricane Helene.
According to a press release, travelers spent more than $36.7 billion on trips to and within the state in 2024. The previous record of $35.6 billion was set in 2023.
“Today’s news underscores what we all know: North Carolina is a fantastic place to visit,” said Governor Josh Stein. “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 state’s tourism-supported workforce increased 1.4 percent to 230,338 jobs in 2024. Tourism payroll increased 2.6 percent to $9.5 billion. As a result of visitor spending, state and local governments saw rebounds in tax revenues to nearly $2.7 billion.
With nearly 40 million visitors from across the United States, North Carolina ranks No. 5 behind California, Florida, Texas, and New York in domestic visitation. 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 the international market. With more than 900,000 international travelers, spending rose 16.5 percent to nearly $1.2 billion.
“North Carolinians in all 100 counties benefit from the money that visitors spend,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “From our smallest towns to our largest cities, tourism means jobs for more than 50,000 small businesses and our first-in-talent workforce. 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.
