KITTY HAWK, NC. (WVEC) — Tourism spending surged to more than $1 billion in Dare County last year.
The county made it into the top five counties for highest tourist revenue, raking in a record $1.2 billion in 2014, according to marketing agency Visit North Carolina.
This is a seven percent increase over 2013, according to a release Governor McCrory’s office.
“The county and its towns have worked hard in building this into a premier destination for the east coast,” said Bob Woodard, chairman of the county commission.
Woodard and other leaders continue their fight to keep the money vacationers spend in the county.
He has traveled back and forth to Raleigh this summer lobbying against a bill that would redistribute sales tax revenue to areas based on population, not where the money was spent.
The bill, which has passed the state senate, is designed to help rural communities. But Woodard said counties like Dare should not be punished for their success.
“You don’t take away from income producing counties,” said Woodard. “They need that for their infrastructure, they need it for their EMS, they need it for their fire, they need it for police, they need it for all their public services we provide.”
Gov. McCrory has threatened to veto the bill if passed.
Dare County sees about 300,000 visitors each year during the peak tourist season, Woodard said.
It’s too soon to know how successful this year will be, and whether recent shark scares will have a major impact.
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