2014 Visitor Impact for Randolph County County Spending by Domestic Visitors Increases for Fifth St

ASHEBORO, NC – Visit North Carolina announced today that domestic visitors to and within Randolph County spent $128.39 million in 2014, an increase of 3.1 percent from 2013.

 “This is why we do what we do,” said Tammy O’Kelley, Executive Director of the TDA. “The local and state tax revenues generated by visitor spending in Randolph County equates to $176.63 in tax savings for every household in Randolph County. It’s unlikely that you would find another industry in this county that has had a continuous positive return on investment such as this for five years straight.”

 Tourism impact highlights for 2014:

• The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 1,056 people in Randolph County.   
• Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Randolph County was $19.25 million.
• State tax revenue generated in Randolph County totaled $7.54 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. Approximately $2.06 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.

Gov. Pat McCrory announced in May that visitors to North Carolina spent a record $21.3 billion in 2014, an increase of 5.5 percent from 2013.

 “All eight regions of the state had spending growth of four percent or more, and 90 percent of the state’s counties saw direct tourism employment growth from 2013 to 2014,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “As the sixth most visited state in the country, tourism continues to be major driver of economic development across North Carolina.”

 Statewide highlights include:

• State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending neared the $1.1 billion mark in 2014. The figure represents 4 percent in growth over 2013’s $1.0 billion.
• Visitors spend more than $58 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds more than $4.6 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $2.9 million in state taxes and $1.7 million in local taxes).
• The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 200,000 North Carolinians. 

 These statistics are from the “2014 Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties,” prepared for Visit North Carolina by the U.S. Travel Association.

 The Randolph County Tourism Development Authority operates the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau representing Archdale, Asheboro, Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman, Seagrove, Staley and Trinity. For additional information, please call (336) 626-0364 or go to HeartofNorthCarolina.com.

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