Tourism grows in Bertie County

Bertie County’s initiative to increase tourism spending is working.

The numbers are in and North Carolina hosted a record 43 million visitors in 2023. That number computes into record breaking revenue for the state and for Bertie County.

Statewide tourist spending rose 6.9 percent to a record breaking $35.6 billion in 2023. The new annual report by Visit NC shows Bertie County contributed to that milestone.

Bertie County ranked 90 in total visitor spending, according to the report with a sum of $24.47 million boosting Bertie to a 4.5 percent tourism revenue increase over 2022.

Total visitor spending included amounts spent on lodging, food and beverages, recreation, retail sales and transportation.

Tourist spending in all categories continued to break records. In Bertie County $6.58 million was spent on lodging, $7.15 million was spent on food and beverage. Area recreation contributed $2.94 million to the total, while retail sales contributed $1.86 million and transportation increased to $5.93 million for the $24.47 million total.

“There are a great many wonderful places for tourists to visit in Bertie County,” Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lewis Hoggard said. “From the history of Historic Hope to the beauty of the Cashie River, there is something for everyone. We welcome people to the Livermon Park and Mini Zoo regularly, along with the Cashie Treehouses and the beautiful Bertie Beach.”

The excitement wasn’t just local.

“It’s great to see increasing numbers of people continue to flock to North Carolina to see all we have to offer,” said N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper. “Visitors are investing record amounts of money bolstering our booming tourism industry, and that brings good jobs and income to North Carolina businesses and families.”

Growth in direct tourism employment was also seen among rural and urban counties with nearly 20 percent of counties seeing higher than average growth. Tourism’s contribution to the state’s employment numbers are substantial with domestic tourism employment totaling $220.8 million. Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 4.8 percent to 227,200.

The positive news was what county officials had hoped for. Over the past two years, Bertie County Commissioners have been strong advocates for promoting recreational tourism. The ongoing Tall Glass of Water project at Bertie Beach is the county’s flagship recreational-environmental project focused on destination tourism. Under the direction of Special Projects Coordinator Robin Payne, TGOW is only one aspect of county’s tourism development plan.

Currently, the Destination Bertie Project that began almost two years ago is developing an action plan to be unveiled in December.

“The goal of the Destination Bertie Action Plan (DBAP) is to elevate quality of life across the county by targeting new projects that expand access to outdoor recreation, heritage tourism and agritourism,” said Payne.

Payne leads the county’s efforts to increase outdoor recreation tourism.

State officials are also enthused with the news.

“We’re thrilled that visitor spending has reached a record $35.6 billion and that the growth is spread across the spectrum of local economies,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Scenic beauty, authentic experiences and graciousness are at the heart of what makes tourism a vital industry, one that’s anchored by our first-in-talent workforce. It’s a point of pride and honor that North Carolina ranks as the nation’s fifth most-visited state.”

2023 saw growth in visitor spending for both urban and rural counties with 98 of North Carolina’s 100 counties seeing increases in spending compared with 2022.

“The new study underscores the importance of tourism to every county in North Carolina,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “There’s a lot of competition for travelers’ time and money, and we owe our success to everything from the state’s scenic beauty and outdoor adventure to our mix of tradition and innovation and our welcoming spirit. Those qualities might be hard to measure, but we can follow the trail to a measurable impact on our workforce, our businesses and our tax base. We look forward to continued success.”

What may be more encouraging for Bertie county is the future revenue from lodging. In 2023, $6.58 million was spent on lodging. In April, 2024, the Bertie County Commissioners passed a lodging tax ordinance which will prove substantial when next year’s Visit NC report is published.