North Carolina Tourist Information

Travel and Tourism Day includes Craven representation

Craven County as a destination for tourists got a high profile in Raleigh on Tuesday as part of N.C. Travel and Tourism Day.

New N.C. Travel and Tourism Board appointee Sabrina Bengel attended her first meeting as a member, and representatives of the Craven County Tourist Center displayed wares to entice more visitors to the area from booths set up at the N.C. Legislature Building.

Calling the travel and tourism industry “vital to our economic stability and growth,” Gov. Bev Perdue had proclaimed the day to coincide with National Travel and Tourism Week. It aims to help promote better awareness of tourism’s part in stimulating the state’s economy.

Tourists spent a record $17 billion in North Carolina in 2010, helping to keep more than 200,000 people employed in about 40,000 related businesses. The industry generated $947.2 million in state tax revenue and another $545.9 million in local tax revenue.

“Each of the legislators was provided with a copy of the Smith Travel Report that talked about information on hotel occupancy and sales tax generated,” Bengel said. The booths set up were also to emphasize to lawmakers the importance of the tourism industry to the state

 The report presented by state Travel and Tourism Director Lynn Minges showed that those revenues helped save each North Carolina household about $390 in taxes.

State figures place that overall economic impact of tourism in Craven County at $96 million in 2009, down 8.4 percent from $104.8 million in 2008. Pamlico County showed a $14.2 million impact in 2009 compared to $15.2 million in 2008, and Jones County had a $3.2 million impact in 2009 compared to $3.53 million in 2008.

Marlise Taylor, director of research at the N.C. Division of Tourism, said 2010 county tourism impact numbers will not be available until mid-summer.

But Rick Hemphill, Craven County finance administrator and a member of the county Tourism Development Authority, said New Bern’s 300th Anniversary in 2010 “gave occupancy tax a bump” in 2010. Even with that year-long series of events over, those numbers are holding up.

Bengel said N.C. Cultural Resources Director Linda Carlisle reported that there are proposed budget cuts to state historic and cultural destinations, “but they feel good that no cultural resources will be closed down. They might have to close a day or two but not shut down.

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