GREENVILLE, NC — Domestic and international visitors to and within Pitt County spent $312.88 million in 2023, an increase of 7.5% from $290.97 million 2022. This data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
“We are incredibly excited to see our tourism visitor spending exceed $300 million for the first time,” stated Andrew Schmidt, President & CEO of Visit Greenville, NC. “Our local tourism economy continues to grow and contribute to the overall economic health of Greenville and Pitt County year over year, and we are deeply thankful to all our tourism and hospitality industry partners for their hard work, and for our all partnerships with them, that help bring more people and awareness to our destination and all the amazing experiences we have to offer.”
2023 Greenville-Pitt County Tourism Impact Highlights:
-
2,082- People directly employed in the travel and tourism industry in Pitt County
-
$75.2 million- Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Pitt County
-
$11.8 million- State tax revenue generated in Pitt County totaled through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income.
-
$9.3 million- in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.
-
$120.44- Saved by local residents in taxes due to the Pitt County travel and tourism industry
-
25th out of North Carolina’s 100 counties in tourism spending
2023 Greenville-Pitt County Tourism Spending Breakdown by Segment:
-
Lodging- $65.47 million
-
Food & Beverage- $111.84 million
-
Recreation- $39.60 million
-
Retail- $23.06 million
-
Transportation- $72.91 million
These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2023,” which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics.
Statewide, visitor spending in 2023 rose 6.9 percent to reach a record $35.6 billion. Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 4.8 percent to 227,224.
“The new study underscores the importance of tourism to every county in North Carolina,” said Wit Tuttell, Executive Director of Visit NC. “There’s a lot of competition for travelers’ time and money, and we owe our success to everything from the state’s scenic beauty and outdoor adventure to our mix of tradition and innovation and our welcoming spirit. Those qualities might be hard to measure, but we can follow the trail to a measurable impact on our workforce, our businesses and our tax base. We look forward to continued success.”
Highlights from the statewide North Carolina tourism report include:
-
Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $35.6 billion in 2023. That sum represents a 6.9 percent increase over 2022 expenditures.
-
Domestic travelers spent a record $34.6 billion in 2023. Spending was up 6.8 percent from $32.4 billion in 2022.
-
International travelers spent $997 million in 2023, up 9.5 percent from the previous year.
-
Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.5 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2023. The total represents a 5.8 percent increase from 2022.
-
State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 5.6 percent to $1.3 billion in 2023.
-
Local tax receipts grew 5.4 percent to $1.2 billion.
-
Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 4.8 percent to 227,224.
-
Direct tourism payroll increased 6.6 percent to nearly $9.3 billion.
-
Visitors spend more than $97 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $7.1 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.7 million in state taxes and $3.4 million in local taxes).
-
Each North Carolina household saved $518 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. Savings per capita averaged $239.
-
Visitors spend more than $91 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $6.7 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.5 million in state taxes and $3.2 million in local taxes).
-
Each North Carolina household saved $518 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. Savings per capita averaged $239.
-
North Carolina hosted about 43 million visitors in 2023.
