Visitor spending in Pitt County has exceeded $300 million for the first time, according to an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a division of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
Domestic and international visitors spent $312.88 million in 2023, an increase of 8.7 percent from $290.97 million in 2022, according to a news release from Greenville-Pitt County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“We are incredibly excited to see our tourism visitor spending exceed $300 million for the first time,” said Andrew Schmidt, president and CEO of Visit Greenville, NC, a part of the bureau. “Our local tourism economy continues to grow and contribute to the overall economic health of Greenville and Pitt County year over year.”
Visitor spending saved local residents $120 in taxes, Schmidt said.
Pitt County is now 25th out of the state’s 100 counties in tourism spending.
No one event is responsible for the increase in tourism spending, Schmidt said.
“Looking at every market we’re in, it’s conventions and meetings, leisure travel, sports tourism, it’s family reunions; all of those are up,” he said. “That’s what it takes to push those numbers up, every market seeking an increase in travel to your destination.”
Higher profile events such as the Little League Softball World Series and the state championship for FIRST Robotics bring additional exposure to the community, which attracts the attention of event planners, creating more opportunities, Schmidt said.
An area of unexpected growth is military banquets and balls held at the Greenville Convention Center.
The banquets and balls increased travel to the city in November and December. A total of 17 events occurred last year, Schmidt said.
“Some of these balls can be 1,500 people. We are one of the largest convention centers in eastern North Carolina,” Schmidt said. “You’ve got Wilmington and you’ve got us that can handle these types of things.”
Various branches of the armed forces in the state prefer to have their events outside of the communities where their bases are located, he said.
Having events like the military balls in at year’s end and the Little League World Series in August bring revenue in during slow times of the year, Schmidt said.
“We’re really happy to be part of a city that is moving forward and travel and tourism is a key component for keeping the economy healthy,” he said.
Schmidt said he sees the community’s visitor spending continuing to grow. Next year the convention center will host the N.C. Association of County Commissioners and the N.C. League of Municipalities annual conferences.
That’s possible because of the bureau’s good working relationship with the officials with the City of Greenville and Pitt County government, which is taking on the planning of the events.
“It’s all about us working with who we need to work with to bring all these events here,” Schmidt said. “We are deeply thankful to all our tourism and hospitality industry partners for their hard work and for our all partnerships with them, that help bring more people and awareness to our destination and all the amazing experiences we have to offer.”
Statewide, visitor spending in 2023 rose 6.9 percent to reach a record $35.6 billion. Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 4.8 percent to 227,224.
“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.”
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