RALEIGH -- Record visitor spending in 2017 was reflected with visitor spending increases in all 100 counties, N.C. Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. Copeland announced.

Visitor spending reached nearly $5.4 billion in Mecklenburg, $2.3 billion in Wake, $1.4 billion in Guilford and $1.1 in Buncombe and Dare counties. Rounding out the top 10 counties for visitor spending were Forsyth ($898 million), Durham ($814 million), New Hanover ($578 million), Brunswick ($563 million) and Cumberland ($542 million). The data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Domestic visitors spent a record $23.99 billion statewide in 2017, an increase of 4.2 percent from 2016. State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending topped $1.2 billion in 2017, and local tax revenues directly resulting from visitor spending totaled $738.6 million. Visitor expenditures directly supported 225,700 jobs and generated more than $6.0 billion in payroll income across North Carolina. 

“North Carolina is a welcoming state and destination for travelers from across the world, and tourism continues to help drive economic development statewide,” said Secretary Copeland. “Tourism creates jobs and increases state and local tax revenues, growing North Carolina’s economy across all 100 counties.”

Visit NC Executive Director Wit Tuttell added: “The continued growth in visitor spending is great for communities across our entire state. North Carolina’s continued position as the sixth most-visited state in the nation with more than 46 million visitors in 2017 reinforces its status as a premier tourism destination.” 

The visitor spending study commissioned by Visit North Carolina is conducted by the U.S. Travel Association. The study uses sales and tax revenue data, employment figures and other industry and economic data to determine the overall impact of visitor spending in North Carolina.