Visitors spent more than $1 billion in Forsyth County last year, Visit NC reported this week. Forsyth had a 6.9% uptick in visitor spending to $1.
06 billion, exceeding the previous high of $996 million in 2019. After spending plunged to $527.3 million in 2020 during the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Forsyth and most North Carolina counties have gradually recovered visitor spending the past three years.
Forsyth remained ranked ninth in visitor spending during 2023. "Visit Winston-Salem implements sales and marketing strategies that motivate meetings, groups, sporting events and leisure travelers to choose Forsyth County," said Stephanie Pace Brown, the agency's president. "These efforts create economic vitality by enhancing the customer base for our local businesses, support jobs, and generate taxes — all for the benefit of the people who live here.
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Another improvement: Visitor expenditures generated $72.6 million in local and state tax revenues in 2022, compared with $67.9 million in 2022; $63.
9 million in 2021, $42 million in 2020 and $77 million in 2019. The sharp decline in visitor spending from 2019 to 2020 was expected given people's limited ability to travel during the early months of the pandemic. Visit NC reported that visitor food and beverage spending again was tops in Forsyth at $328.
45 million, followed by $317.05 million in transportation expenditures, $206.54 million in lodging, $126.
38 million in recreation and $77.73 million in retail. Forsyth was listed with 6,753 workers employed in the tourism sector, up from 6,233 in the 2022 report.
Not alone Forsyth was not alone among the state's five metro areas in experiencing a sharp upturn in visitor spending in the economic recovery from the pandemic. Guilford County was up 8.7% to $1.
68 billion. It was ranked fifth in the state, unchanged from 2022 and 2021. Visit NC reported that food and beverage spending led Guilford at $508.
39 million, followed by visitor transportation expenditures $503.95 million, $349.47 million in lodging, $199.
25 million in recreation and $120.62 million in retail. Mecklenburg County continues to rank first in the state at $5.
85 billion, up 9.6%. Wake County was second at $3.
29 billion, up 11.4%, followed by Buncombe County at $2.97 billion, up 3%, and Dare County at $2.
15 billion, up 8.8%. All 14 counties in the Triad and Northwest North Carolina had an increase in visitor spending.
Statewide tourism spending for 2023 totaled a record $35.63 billion, up 6.9% from 2022.
Statewide tourism employment for 2023 totaled 227,224, compared with 216,890 in 2022. "Visitors are investing record amounts of money bolstering our booming tourism industry, and that brings good jobs and income to North Carolina businesses and families," Gov. Roy Cooper said.
Machelle Baker Sanders, the state's commerce secretary, said that "scenic beauty, authentic experiences and graciousness are at the heart of what makes tourism a vital industry, one that's anchored by our first-in-talent workforce." "It's a point of pride and honor that North Carolina ranks as the nation's fifth most-visited state." Cooper and state Commerce officials expect another record year in 2024, thanks in part to federal American Rescue Plan funding being invested in Business Recovery Grants, the Moonshine to Motorsports Trail and tourism marketing.
In the Triad and northwest North Carolina, the foremost example of those funds is the $18 million provided to resuscitate North Wilkesboro Speedway. Those renovations led NASCAR to run its All-Star Race week at the speedway in 2023 and 2024 and announced plans for 2025. rcraver@wsjournal.
com 336-727-7376 @rcraverWSJ Triad, northwest NC tourism spending Tourism spending in the 14-county Triad and northwest North Carolina region reached $4.69 billion during 2023, according to Visit NC. Every county experienced a year-over-year spending uptick.
Alamance: $271.3 million, up 7.9% over 2022 Alleghany: $48.
3 million, up 1.3% Ashe: $112.6 million, up 2.
7% Davidson: $306.2 million, up 5.2% Davie: $46.
1 million, up 6.1% Forsyth: $1.06 billion, up 6.
9% Guilford: $1.68 billion, up 8.7% Randolph: $189.
5 million, up 6.1% Rockingham: $93.9 million, up 6.
4% Stokes: $52.,2 million, up 1.7% Surry: $151.
5 million, up 3% Watauga: $517.5 million, up 3.2% Wilkes: $114.
5 million, up 5.1% Yadkin: $52.5 million, up 3.
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