NC Breaks Tourism Spending Record, Continues to Be #5 Most Visited State

Governor Josh Stein announced today that the overall North Carolina tourism economy held strong against the headwinds of Hurricane Helene. Travelers spent more than $36.7 billion on trips to and within the state in 2024. The previous record of $35.6 billion was set in 2023. 

“Today’s news underscores what we all know: North Carolina is a fantastic place to visit,” said Governor Josh Stein. “As our mountain economies worked to recover from Helene, our Piedmont and coastal destinations remained popular and contributed to the growth of North Carolina’s tourism economy. We must continue to support tourism and small businesses in western North Carolina to help them come back stronger.”

Governor Stein’s announcement coincides with National Travel and Tourism Week (May 4-10), 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 Welcome Centers will host activities throughout the week.  

The state’s tourism-supported workforce increased 1.4 percent to 230,338 jobs in 2024.  Tourism payroll increased 2.6 percent to $9.5 billion. As a result of visitor spending, state and local governments saw rebounds in tax revenues to nearly $2.7 billion.   

The figures are preliminary findings from research commissioned by Visit North Carolina, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and conducted by Tourism Economics. In measuring the economic value of the travel sector, the research incorporates a broad range of data sources to ensure that the entire visitor economy is quantified in detail. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OmniTrak visitor profiles, the U.S. Census, STR, AirDNA and KeyData lodging reports, and the NC Department of Revenue are among the sources included in this comprehensive model. More information about the study can be found online at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies, which also links to archived reports dating back to 2005.

The statistics published today report data from a statewide perspective.  Later this year, a supplemental report will provide regional and local visitor data, offering a better perspective on Helene’s impact on western North Carolina’s tourism economy.

With nearly 40 million visitors from across the United States, North Carolina ranks No. 5 behind California, Florida, Texas, and New York in domestic visitation. The past four years have seen tight competition with Pennsylvania and Tennessee for fifth place. In addition to 2024’s record spending by domestic travelers, North Carolina also saw gains in the international market. With more than 900,000 international travelers, spending rose 16.5 percent to nearly $1.2 billion.  

“North Carolinians in all 100 counties benefit from the money that visitors spend,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “From our smallest towns to our largest cities, tourism means jobs for more than 50,000 small businesses and our first-in-talent workforce. These workers address travelers’ needs for transportation as well as lodging, dining, shopping, and recreation.”

As a result of travelers’ contributions to state and local tax revenue, North Carolina households average $593 in yearly savings.   

Learn more about NC tourism:

• Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $36.7 billion in 2024. That sum represents a 3.1 percent increase over 2023 expenditures.   

• Domestic travelers spent a record $35.6 billion in 2024. Spending was up 2.7 percent from $34.6 billion in 2023.   

• International travelers spent $1.2 billion in 2024, up 16.5 percent from the previous year.   

• Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2024. The total represents a 2.9 percent increase from 2023.   

• State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 1.1 percent to nearly $1.4 billion in 2024.   

• Local tax receipts grew 4.3 percent to nearly $1.3 billion.  

• Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 1.4 percent to 230,338.   

• Direct tourism payroll increased 2.6 percent to $9.5 billion.   

• Visitors spend more than $100 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $7.3 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.7 million in state taxes and $3.6 million in local taxes).   

• Each North Carolina household saved $593 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. Savings per capita averaged $241.  

About Visit North Carolina:  

Visit NC, the state’s official destination marketing organization, is part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, a private nonprofit corporation that serves as North Carolina’s economic development organization. The EDPNC focuses on business and job recruitment, existing industry support, international trade, tourism, and film marketing. 

The mission of Visit NC is to unify and lead the state in positioning North Carolina as a preferred destination for leisure travel, group tours, meetings and conventions, sports events, and film production. Each year, North Carolina welcomes about 40 million visitors who spend nearly $37 billion during their stay. The tourism industry employs more than 230,000 people and generates nearly $2.7 billion in state and local tax revenues. For travel ideas and inspiration, go to VisitNC.com.