Pittsboro, NC – Domestic and international visitors to and within Chatham County spent $75.72 million in 2022, an increase of 11.3 percent from 2021. The data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
“Chatham County’s tourism and hospitality industry continues to grow, with predominantly small businesses offering events and activities appealing to our visitors. Whether visiting for a day trip, road trip, working vacation, celebration, or to explore, our craft beverage sites, farms, local eateries, golf courses, and nature places offer varied experiences for new and repeat guests,” said Neha Shah, director of the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), which is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Chatham County. “We look forward to welcoming more groups in the future and continuing to support, through marketing and other initiatives, our local visitor industry businesses and organizations.”
Tourism impact highlights for 2022:
The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 624 in Chatham County.
Total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Chatham County was $23 million.
State tax revenue generated in Chatham County totaled $3.2 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. About $2.8 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.
These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2022,” 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.
“Tourism is more than an essential industry for the state,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “It’s an economic development force in all 100 of our counties, the places where travelers experience our scenic beauty and adventure, our cuisine and unique culture, our history and the dynamic forces that create our enduring appeal. Our visitor spending reports underscore the value of these assets in terms of jobs and tax revenues that relieve some of the burden on residents. We look forward to continued success in welcoming people to experience places they won’t find anywhere else.”
Highlights from the statewide report include:
North Carolina hosted approximately 43 million visitors in 2022. Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $33.3 billion in 2022.That sum represents a 15.2 percent increase over 2021 expenditures. The figure falls 14 percent above the record $29.22 billion spent in 2019.
The CVB is fully funded by revenues generated by the occupancy tax on lodging facilities in Chatham County. Additional information on the CVB and attractions and events in Chatham County can be found at visitpittsboro.com.