Main Street in Mount Airy
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Visit North Carolina recently released figures for 2014, the latest it says are available, which shows tourists spent more than $113.5 million that year in Surry County.
According to The Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties, that represented a 2.56 percent increase over 2013, and shows a 28.63 percent hike in tourism spending in the county from 2010 to 2014.
“I am thrilled to see the tourism industry growing in Surry County and in downtown Mount Airy,” said Lizzie Morrison, Main Street coordinator for Mount Airy Downtown Inc. “Downtown is the heart of our community, and our growing tourism industry is proof of an economically healthy city.”
According to the Mount Airy Visitors Center, officials there tracked around 70,000 visitors to the city who stopped at the center, though that is not necessarily the actual number of visitors to the city.
The Visit North Carolina uses a model designed by U.S. Travel Association to determine the Travel Economic Impact or the Travel Economic Impact Model to arrive at those figures
Additional findings in Visit North Carolina’s report said nearly 800 people have been employed in the travel and tourism industry over the past year in Surry County, and 200,000 people work in that industry statewide. Locally, the countywide payroll in the tourism industry amounted to $16.1 million in 2014.
“Tourism has generated increased expenditures over the last five years and created substantial economic benefits in Mount Airy and Surry County,” said Jessica Icenhour Roberts, director of tourism and marketing for the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce. “The study conducted by the U.S. Travel Association reinforces our strategic marketing efforts to currently focus on the leisure market. The goal of our local tourism efforts in Surry County and Mount Airy is to bring in more visitors annually who will spend more money and stay longer in our region.”
Approximately $2.41 million in local taxes were generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses, according to Visit North Carolina.
State wide tax receipts showed a 5.8 percent increase in local tax collected and 3.8 percent increase in state tax collected from public transportation, auto transportation, lodging, food service, recreation, retail and planning.
Gov. Pat McCrory announced in May visitors in North Carolina spent a record $21.3 billion in the year 2014, an increase of 5.4 percent from 2013.
“Tourism supports small business, and can be a catalyst for investment within our downtown,” said Morrison. “In our last fiscal year, I was able to track over $1.3 million dollars in private investment within the Municipal Service District. Buildings are being rehabbed, new businesses are opening, jobs are being created, and more redevelopment is on the way. These are exciting times for the City of Mount Airy. Mount Airy Downtown, Inc. is very thankful to the Tourism Development Authority, and the many partners that work hard to promote this area. As we continue to invest, I anticipate tourism increases and small business success will go hand in hand.” said Morrison.
By Eva Queen
equeen@civitasmedia.com
Reach Eva Queen at (336) 415-4739 or equeen@civitasmedia.com
Reach Eva Queen at (336) 415-4739 or equeen@civitasmedia.com
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