Pender County gets an economic boost through tourism

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY)–It appears Pender County is becoming a vacationer’s paradise.

The county’s Tourism Development Board met Thursday at the Hampstead Annex to discuss the state of tourism.

During the meeting, board members broke down the number of people visiting the beaches, towns like Historic Burgaw, and the impact of the 250th commemoration of the Moores Creek National Battlefield, which featured an appearance by Diana Gabaldon—an author known for her bestselling ‘Outlander’ series.

Board member Tammy Proctor said the recent events helped the county’s bottom line.

“The last data that was released to the state showed we were close to $300 million in visitor spending,” said Proctor. “That brought in about $9 million in state and local taxes, which goes right into our economy. We also provide around a thousand jobs through tourism.”

Proctor also said the North Carolina Blueberry Festival, which will take place on June 20 in Burgaw, will bring an additional economic boost.