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Governor Roy Cooper announced today that domestic visitors to and within Halifax County spent $101.45 million in 2018, an increase of 4.6 percent from 2017. 

The data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Lori Medlin, president and CEO of the Halifax County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said, “We are delighted with the strength of the tourism industry in our area. Breaking the $100 million mark has been a goal of ours and it is exciting to see the tremendous impact visitor spending has throughout our area.”

Medlin said, “We believe that our best days are ahead. We feel we are poised for a growth period and will see new tourism dependent businesses developing in the near future. Our hospitality partners work hard every day to make our visitors feel welcome and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.”

Tourism impact highlights for 2018:

  • The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 570 and indirectly employs more than 1,000 in Halifax County.  
  • State tax revenue generated in Halifax County totaled $6.23 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. About $2.48 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.

Last year was a record year for tourism spending in the state.

The $25.3 billion in total spending represented an increase of 5.6 percent from 2017. 

These statistics are from the Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2018. 

The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by the U.S. Travel Association.

“The numbers confirm the strength of North Carolina’s tourism industry as an anchor of economic development,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “As the number six state in the country for overnight visitation, we can attribute our success to the natural beauty and authenticity that visitors experience, and to a passionate effort to inform and inspire travelers. The money they spend benefits everyone by sustaining jobs and reducing our residents’ tax burden.”

Statewide highlights include:

  • State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 4.7 percent to more than $1.3 billion in 2018. 
  • Visitors spend more than $69 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $5.64 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.5 million in state taxes and $2.1 million in local taxes).
  • The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 230,000 North Carolinians. 
  • Each North Carolina household saves on average $532 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.