Ashe Visitor Spending Up 10% in 2024

Ashe County, N.C. — Domestic and international visitors to and within Ashe County spent more than $123 million in 2024, an increase of 10% from 2023. The data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit NC, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

“We are excited to see this data, which reflects the tireless work of so many businesses, organizations, and individuals who join us in encouraging tourism to Ashe County,” said Ashe County Chamber & Visitor Center Executive Director Kitty Honeycutt. “We appreciate Visit NC funding this annual research, and we are grateful to our visitors for the tremendous impact their spending has on our community’s economy and on each local family’s tax savings,” Honeycutt added. As a result of visitor spending, each Ashe County resident saved $327 on average in state and local taxes.

Ashe tourism impact highlights for 2024:

● The travel and tourism industry directly employs more than 580 individuals in Ashe County.
● The total payroll generated by the tourism industry in Ashe exceeded $24 million.
● State tax revenue generated in Ashe County totaled $4 million through state sales and excise taxes, as well as taxes on personal and corporate income. About $4,750,000 in local taxes were generated from occupancy, 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 2024,” which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics.

Statewide, visitor spending in 2024 rose 3.1 percent to reach a record $36.7 billion. Direct tourism employment increased 1.4 percent to 230,338.

“The study confirms the strength of North Carolina’s tourism industry,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “The fact of spending growth, even in the headwinds of Hurricane Helene, underscores the industry’s vitality and the appeal of our destinations and the authentic cultural, recreational, and culinary experiences that travelers find rewarding.”

Tuttell noted that while the data includes the three months of 2024 that followed the storm, the study’s timing, methodology, and purpose are not intended to be an evaluation of the storm’s impact on visitation or spending, but rather a gauge of the overall health of the visitor economy for 2024.

“It’s certainly an indication of where the effects were felt,” he said, “but given the complexities of the tourism industry and the timeframe of this research, we need to resist the temptation to view the data as a definitive report of the storm’s economic impact. As travelers return, we will
celebrate the resiliency behind the mountain recovery efforts that fortify the industry and underscore its value to our workforce, our businesses, and our tax base.”

Additional NC tourism facts:

● Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $36.7 billion in 2024. That sum represents a 3.1% increase over 2023 expenditures.
● Domestic travelers spent a record $35.6 billion in 2024. Spending was up 2.7% from $34.6 billion in 2023.
● International travelers spent $1.2 billion in 2024, up 16.5% from the previous year.
● Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2024. The total represents a 2.9% increase from 2023.
● State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 1.1% to nearly $1.4 billion in 2024.
● Local tax receipts grew 4.3% to nearly $1.3 billion.
● Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 1.4% to 230,338.
● Direct tourism payroll increased 2.6% to $9.5 billion.
● Visitors spend more than $100 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $7.3 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.7 million in state taxes and $3.6 million in local taxes).
● Each North Carolina household saved $593 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. Savings per capita averaged $242 across the state.

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