Pender County spending increases by 6 percent to $165.29 million.
According to data release by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, there’s been an increase in visitor spending in Pender County. Domestic and international visitors to and within Pender County spent $165.29 million in 2021, an increase of 6 percent from 2020.
According to the most recent data, the tourism industry employs more than 924 people in Pender County. The total payroll generated in Pender County’s tourism industry was $37.1 million. Around $8.9 million in local taxes was generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel and tourism related businesses, equaling a savings of $243.32 per resident in Pender County.
These statistics come from the Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2021, which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics in collaboration with the U.S. Travel Association.
“We are extremely pleased to see another record year in visitor spending,” say Tammy Proctor, Pender County tourism director. “In 2020 Pender County was one of only 14 counties statewide to see an increase in visitor spending. To see another significant increase only demonstrates how important the tourism industry is to Pender County’s economy.”
Statewide, visitor spending in 2021 rebounded by 44.9 percent to reach $28.9 billion. Following the devastating pandemic-related losses of 2020, the total fell just short of the record $29.22 spent in 2019. Direct tourism employment increased 10.5 percent to 197,500.
“These findings are something that everyone in North Carolina can celebrate,” said Visit NC Director Wit Tuttell. “They’re a testament to the resilience of our businesses and our residents, and to the enduring appeal of destinations that include everything a traveler might want. The economic well-being of the state and all its communities rises with the pleasures travelers find in the natural beauty of our public spaces, our culinary traditions and innovation, our remarkable towns and our spirited cities. North Carolina can claim it all.”
Statewide highlights include:
• Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $28.9 billion in 2021.That sum represents a 44.9 percent increase over 2020 expenditures. The figure falls 1 percent below the record $29.22 billion spent in 2019.
• Domestic travelers spent a record $28.6 billion in 2021. Spending was up 45.2 percent from $19.7 billion in 2020.
• International travelers spent $337 million in 2021, up 25.6 percent from the previous year.
• Visitors to North Carolina generated $3.9 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2021. The total represents a 29 percent increase from 2020.
• State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 34 percent to nearly $1.2 billion in 2021.
• Local tax receipts grew 26 percent to $1.1 billion.
• Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 10.5 percent to 197,500.
• Direct tourism payroll increased 18.9 percent to $7.7 billion.
• Visitors spent more than $79 million per day in North Carolina. That spending added $6.4 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.3 million in state taxes and $3.1 million in local taxes).
• Each North Carolina household saved $580 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. Savings per capita averaged $222.
• North Carolina hosted nearly 45 million visitors in 2021.
For more across the state visit the N.C. Department of Commerce at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies.
