National Tourism Week Spotlights Travel Industry's Economic Impact on Charlotte
In partnership with the U.S. Travel Association, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) is celebrating National Tourism Week through May 10, 2015. With the leisure and hospitality industry serving as one of the region's largest employers, tourism-related visitor spending exceeded $6 billion.* The valuable economic impact produced by the industry positively impacts Charlotte region year after year, employing nearly 100,000* people and creating opportunities that benefit the city’s quality of life and infrastructure. The CRVA is commemorating the important week and spotlighting this essential industry through the following efforts:
PIT Stop at Interstate 77 on May 15 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
(First Rest Area exit located off of I-77 when entering North Carolina from South Carolina)
Before arriving in Charlotte to take part in the heart-pounding race festivities, drivers are invited to a welcome wagon like no other at the I-77 Welcome Center. Visitors coming into town will be greeted by some of Charlotte’s premier attractions including Carowinds, The Billy Graham Library and The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium that will welcome them and showcase the many things to see and do in the region. The PIT Stop is held each May in conjunction with the heavy flow of visitors coming into town looking to experience racing action and activities including the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Coca-Cola Speed Street and Coca-Cola 600. Visitors will receive complimentary refreshments as they’re passing through the Welcome Center.
About Travel & Tourism in Charlotte and the U.S.
Learn some useful (and surprising) facts about the industry through the facts and statistics below.
- Travel supports 15 million American jobs – one in every nine jobs depends on travel.**
- Since the employment recovery began, the travel industry has added 865,600 jobs and has outpaced job growth in the rest of the economy by 37 percent.**
- Travel is among the top 10 employers in 49 states, directly employing about eight million people at a payroll of $221 billion. Include jobs supported by travel and the number almost doubles to 15 million workers.**
- North Carolina state and local tax revenues from travel to Mecklenburg County total $4.6 billion, representing a $328 tax saving for every resident in the county.*
- Tourism is the Charlotte region's fourth largest industry employing every one in nine people making up nearly 100,000 jobs.*
- Without the economic activity that visitor spending creates, some of Charlotte's most defining assets would not exist- BB&T Ballpark, the renovations at Bank of America Stadium, the Westin Charlotte, Charlotte Convention Center, Levine Center for the Arts, NASCAR Hall of Fame and much, much more.
- For every dollar spent in consumer-facing paid media for 'Charlotte's got a lot,' we see a $112 return in spending in Charlotte area businesses. For every dollar of paid media spend out-of-market, we produce $6 in tax collections.
- Mecklenburg leads in tourism spending ($4.6 billion) over all counties in North Carolina generating more than double the amount of tourism spending over the second highest ranking county (Wake County at $1.8 billion).*
* In calculating the tourism spending in the Charlotte region, spending totaled more than $6 billion. This encompasses 10 counties in North Carolina and three in South Carolina outlined in the Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Data was calculated as a result of a 2013 study by the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development and 2012 research provided by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT).
** Research conducted by the U.S. Travel Association.
About the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) works to deliver experiences that uniquely enrich the lives of our visitors and residents. Through leadership in destination development, marketing and venue management expertise, the CRVA leads efforts to maximize the region’s economic potential through visitor spending, creating jobs and opportunities for the community. Brands supported by the CRVA include the Charlotte Convention Center, Time Warner Cable Arena, Bojangles’ Coliseum, Ovens Auditorium, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte Regional Film Commission and Visit Charlotte in conjunction with the region’s destination marketing brand, 'Charlotte’s got a lot.' charlottesgotalot.com