RALEIGH - Governor Pat McCrory announced today that North Carolina tourism generated record visitor spending in 2014 with a total of $21.3 billion, a 5.4 percent increase over 2013. Additionally, tourism industry supported employment topped 200,000 jobs for the first time.

“Nearly 50 million people from across the United States visited North Carolina last year, and the money they spent supported more than 204,000 jobs and more than 40,000 businesses,” Governor McCrory said. “North Carolina is the sixth most visited state in the nation thanks to the quality travel experiences provided by our natural scenery and the warm welcome visitors receive from citizens all across the state.”  

Governor McCrory, who proclaimed May 2-10, 2015 as Tourism Week in North Carolina, applauded the growth in direct tourism employment. In addition to topping the 200,000 mark for the first time, the 3.3 percent growth in tourism jobs was the largest increase in 14 years.  

In other North Carolina findings by the U.S. Travel Association, state tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 3.9 percent to more than $1 billion. Visitors spent more than $58 million per day in North Carolina last year and contributed more than $4.6 million per day in state and local tax revenues as a result of that spending.  

“The tourism industry’s success is shared across North Carolina,” said John E. Skvarla III, North Carolina Commerce Secretary. “Tourism means jobs in all of the state’s 100 counties. In addition, each North Carolina household saves $455 annually in state and local taxes as a result of taxes generated by visitor expenditures.” 

Tourism Week in North Carolina is part of National Travel & Tourism Week, which also runs May 2-10. The state’s nine Welcome Centers will host activities throughout the week.