North Carolina raked in nearly $37 billion from tourism in 2024: 'Starts with visitation'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina has made the record books for many things, especially the aftermath of hurricanes, like Helene and Debby in 2024, and it hasn't stopped the flow of travelers pouring into the state.

According to Governor Josh Stein's office, 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.

"The very quality of life that we have as residents in North Carolina is subsidized by visitors coming and spending their dollars in our area. It's really huge for things like roads and police and (firefighters) and things that are subsequently funded to that sales tax that comes into the counties and the cities," explained Scott Peacock, Director of Marketing and Communications for Visit North Carolina.

The figures are preliminary findings from research commissioned by Visit North Carolina, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) and conducted by Tourism Economics.

"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."

Stats provided by Visit NC show 40 million people from across the U.S., which led to a number five ranking for North Carolina; that's behind California, Florida, Texas, and New York in domestic visitation.

"It all starts with visitation, and we think that travel and tourism is really the front porch to broader economic development here in North Carolina," Peacock explained.

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.

"We saw record spending in international tourism," said Peacock.

As the song states, 'Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina."

"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."

The good news comes as the country celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week. It's a time when travel and tourism professionals unite to promote the value of travel to the economy, businesses, and communities.

Whether the state can continue that growth will naturally be affected by rebuild efforts in the western part of the state as it still recovers from Hurricane Helene.

"The biggest thing is to first and foremost let everybody know that the mountains are back. If you haven't planned a vacation for the year yet or if you're looking for another trip just to get outside of home, please consider western North Carolina," said Peacock, who noted the region experienced record spending prior to the storm.

Back in the Triangle, large events such as Brewgaloo, Out Raleigh Pride, and Artposture continue to draw large crowds.

"From Morgan Street all the way down to City Plaza, we'll have art and music, all kinds of things for everybody," said Cameron Laws, the Creative Director of Artsplosure.

The annual two-day festival, which returns next weekend, draws on average 80,000 people per year.

"We have people from all over the region coming to enjoy the festival, but also we have, give or take, 180 visual artists that are part of this festival and they come from across the southeast to stay and vend in Raleigh," Laws said.

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Those big events are important for Trolley Pub Raleigh.

"Dreamville was a perfect example for that. We had multiple tours that day for people going to the show later," said Tom Griffith, who works as Operations Manager.

He oversees seven total markets, including five in North Carolina: Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem.

"Year-to-year, we're up, which is great. It's a unique experience," Griffith explained, adding he now

They're even able to benefit from the Carolina Hurricanes' playoff run.

"People coming in for the hockey playoffs are looking for something else to do and they normally have big groups with them," said Griffith.