Statewide, visitor spending in 2024 rose 3.1% to reach a record $36.7 billion. Direct tourism employment increased 1.4% to 230,338. These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2024,” a study funded, contracted, and released by Visit NC. It can be accessed via their partner-facing site here.
In Johnston County, visitors spent $314.59 million in 2024, which is a 5.2% increase over 2023 spending.
“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 storm impact on visitation or spending, but a gauge of the overall health of the visitor economy for 2024.
What does $314.59 million in visitor spending mean for Johnston County?
- Visitors to the county spend $861,890 a day in local businesses such as hotels, retail and outlet shopping, attractions, dining, and travel services.
- $12.83m in state tax and $9.76m in local tax receipts, which provide county services and reduce the tax burden on every household in the county by approximately $180.
- Room tax collection paid by visitors is the sole source of operating funds for the Visitors Bureau’s marketing campaigns; no local county property taxes fund the bureau.
- More than 2,000 people are employed in the tourism sector, with labor income of more than $80m.
Not only is Johnston County’s percentage of change in spending growth year-over-year higher in 2024, but the county also moved the needle on each of the reported metrics. The county’s 5.2% visitor spending growth rate places the county second in the Triangle behind Wake (7.6%), with Orange (4.9%) and Durham (3.0%) in third and fourth place—a reflection of JoCo’s growing reputation as a great place to live, work, and visit.
Based on tourism industry segments, visitors spent in the following categories: (millions)
Lodging Food & Beverage Recreation Retail Travel Services Total |
2024 $64.98 $108.90 $43.09 $25.64** $71.99 $314.59 |
2023 (compare) $61.68 $103.42 $40.18 $23.81** $69.86 $298.95 |
**The VisitNC report excludes retail outlet spending, related sales tax from retail, and jobs at Carolina Premium Outlets, as the research is not customized for Johnston County.
“Tourism in Johnston County is on the rise, and the momentum is unmistakable. With two new hotels now online in Benson and Smithfield—and more accommodation projects in the pipeline—we’re gearing up for record growth. Plus, the game-changing Eastfield Crossing project in Selma continues. It’s clear that JoCo is in the middle of a breakout chapter for visitor spending, economic impact, and the future of tourism in our county,” said Aaron Mullins, President & CEO of the Johnston County Visitors Bureau.
To learn more about tourism in Johnston County, visit www.johnstoncountync.org/about. In addition, residents and community leaders are encouraged to sign up for the Bureau’s monthly partner-facing newsletter “Tourism Does That,” covering everything the JCVB Staff are working on in support and promotion of JoCo and our partners.
