Posted: Monday, August 17, 2015 5:30 pm
Thesnaponline.com
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Posted on Aug 17, 2015
When it comes to tourism dollars in North Carolina, Stanly County is running in the middle of the pack.
According to the N.C. Department of Commerce, visitors spent a total of about $74 million in the county during 2014, making it 49th in the state in total tourism expenditures.
That number represents a 4.7 percent, or $3.3 million, increase in visitor spending since 2013, making Stanly 41st in percentage growth since last year.
“We’re very excited about the numbers,” said Chris Lambert, director of the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Anytime you have an increase in that kind of income it makes a difference for everyone economically.”
Along with bringing in much-needed income to local businesses, visitor expenditures directly impact local paychecks as well, he pointed out.
About 480 jobs in Stanly County are directly supported by tourism, which resulted in about $9.6 million in payroll income across the county during 2014.
County governments saw a total of about $2.2 million in tax receipts from visitor spending in 2014, and the state generated about $4.1 million in taxes from Stanly alone during that time period as well.
Those tax receipts saved each county resident an estimated $104 last year.
“The more money you have coming in brand new, the less taxes your governments need you to pay,” Lambert explained.
However, while Stanly may be doing well when compared with counties across the state, regionally it’s a lightweight in a room full of heavyweights.
Mecklenburg County garnered nearly 25 percent of all visitor expenditures across the state in 2014.
The state saw a total of about $21.3 billion in visitor spending in 2014, averaging a 5.5 percent increase across counties and resulting in $4.9 billion in payroll income for nearly 205,000 people.
Mecklenburg saw nearly $5 billion in visitor spending, a 6 percent ($282 million) increase over 2013, resulting in $1.6 billion in payroll income for more than 48,000 people.
Cabarrus, Gaston and Iredell also ranked in the top 20 for total visitor expenditures ($4 million, $2.34 million and $2.26 million respectively). Cabarrus, Union and Iredell counties ranked in the top 10 for percentage growth during 2014 with 7.6, 6.9, and 6.5 percent increases respectively.
“Charlotte is our largest visitor base,” Lambert said. “So we do cater to that market.
“With the natural beauty and the proximity to Charlotte, we, in a way, serve as Charlotte’s park.”
Overall, this was the highest that visitor expenditures have been in the county’s history. The numbers have been steadily climbing since 2009, when Stanly saw its largest percent decrease in visitor spending, a nearly 12 percent dip (from $65.7 million to $60.6 million).
The largest percent increase occurred from 1997 to 1998, when visitor spending increased by 12 percent (from $37.5 million to $42 million).
However, the number of tourism-supported employees in the county still has not caught up with pre-recession levels.
In 2007 Stanly had about 520 employees working directly with visitors; today it has about 480.
But despite that, Lambert said the county is doing well.
“We have a lot going for us,” Lambert said. “Natural amenities are abundant in Stanly County and we continue to promote those attractions to all of North Carolina.
“I’m very pleased with where we’re at. We can build on numbers like that.”
Shannon Beamon is a staff writer for The Stanly News Press. Contact her at (704) 982-2121 ext. 24, shannon@stanlynewspress.com or PO Box 488, Albemarle, NC 28002.
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