North Carolina records highest-ever tourism spending year

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — Governor Roy Cooper announced Tuesday the North Carolina tourism economy reached its highest level ever in 2022, with travelers spending more than $33.3 billion on trips to and within the state.

The previous record of $29.22 billion was set in pre-pandemic 2019.

“Tourism is a vital economic force in our state supporting thousands of small businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs,” Governor Cooper said. “We can take pride that visitors see North Carolina as a diverse, inclusive and welcoming place and we all need to work to keep it that way.”

Governor Cooper’s announcement coincides with National Travel and Tourism Week, when travel and tourism professionals across the country unite to underscore the value of travel to the economy, businesses, communities and personal well-being.

The state’s tourism-supported workforce increased 9.8 percent to 216,900 jobs in 2022, according to a press release. That figure reverses the more than 26 percent loss in employment suffered in 2020. Tourism payroll increased 13.5 percent to $8.7 billion.