Jacksonville N.C. Thursday, August 23, 2018 — Visit North Carolina announced today that domestic visitors to and within Onslow County spent $231 million in 2017, an 3.78% increase from 2016. 

“This spending captures sales and occupancy tax collection by tourists and the value of our employees within the industry,” said Donna Hammonds, Onslow County Tourism Manager. 

For Onslow County, the tourism spending represents a savings of $105.53 per person in taxes they would have had to pay to equate to this income from the tourism industry. 

Taxes collected in Onslow County from tourism related items amounted to $8.83 million in 2017. “Those taxes are collected from persons out of our area and contribute greatly to the enhancement of our community, without using property tax dollars,” said Hammonds. 

For Jacksonville, tourism represents more than $155 million in business. “We want to make every person living in Onslow County an ambassador for our area’s military history, beaches, rivers, fishing spots, biking and running trails, restaurants and shops,” said Glenn Hargett, Jacksonville Assistant City Manager and staff to the Jacksonville Tourism Development Authority. “We want to make everyone aware of the many hidden gems many of us are still discovering as we look at our community as a destination.” 

Everyone can help attract more tourism to our area. See Onslow County tourism at www.onlyinonslow.com and see Jacksonville tourism at www.visitjacksonvillenc.com. A travel guide can be ordered by calling Onslow County tourism at 910 347-3141. 

Tourism impact highlights for 2017: 

•  The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 1,800 persons in Onslow County. 
•  Total payroll generated by the tourism industry is $45.8 million in Onslow County. 
•  State tax revenue generated in Onslow totaled $12 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. About $8.83 in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses. 

Gov. Roy Cooper announced in May that visitors to North Carolina set a record for spending in 2017. The $23.99 billion in total spending represented an increase of 4.2 percent from 2016. 

These statistics are from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2017,” which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by the U.S. Travel Association. 

“All eight economic development regions of the state had spending growth of 3 percent or more, and 90 percent of the state’s counties saw direct tourism employment growth from 2016 to 2017,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “Tourism continues to be major driver of economic development across North Carolina, which is the sixth most-visited state in the country.” 

Statewide highlights include: 

•  State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 3.4 percent to more than $1.2 billion in 2017. 
•  Visitors spend more than $65 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $5.38 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.36 million in state taxes and $2.02 million in local taxes). 
•  The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 225,000 North Carolinians. 
•  Each North Carolina household saves on average $515 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. 

Donna Hammonds, Onslow County Tourism Manager, 910 347-3141 

Glenn Hargett, Jacksonville Tourism Development Authority, 910 938-5220