The New Hanover County Arboretum offers picturesque gardens and tranquility
The New Hanover County Arboretum is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free.
New Hanover County ranks eighth among the state’s 100 counties in terms of visitor numbers, with visitors spending more than $1 billion for the second year in a row.
The Wilmington and Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that domestic and international visitors to and from the county spent $1.122 billion in 2023, an increase of nearly 6% over 2022.
The county also saw an increase in direct tourism employment from 6,676 in 2022 to 6,790 in 2023. According to a press release from the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a division of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
“The Wilmington and Beaches CVB is pleased to announce that visitor spending in New Hanover County will once again set a new benchmark in 2023, surpassing $1 billion for the first time,” said Kim Hufham, President and CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority.
In 2023, statewide room occupancy tax revenues totaled over $24.9 million, an increase of 4.94% over the previous benchmark in 2022.
“This continued growth is due to our visitor-friendly destination that embodies the best of the Carolina coast,” Hufham said in the press release.
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Local impacts
Travel and tourism are critical to the county’s economic success in terms of jobs, small business, growth and place quality, the release said. Visitor spending through job creation and a lodging tax base helps fund beach replenishment, the Wilmington Convention Center, marine conservation programs and other tourism-related projects.
In terms of state tax revenue, New Hanover County’s revenue totaled $37 million from state sales and use taxes, as well as personal and corporate income taxes, the release said. In terms of local taxes, about $40.3 million was generated from sales and property tax revenue from travel-related and travel-supported businesses.
Each New Hanover County resident saved an estimated $323.85 in travel-related state and local tax revenue.
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Government statistics
Statewide, visitor spending also reached a record $35 billion in 2023, up 6.9% from 2022. Direct employment in the state’s tourism increased 4.8% to 227,200.
“The new study underscores the importance of tourism to every county in North Carolina,” said Wit Tuttell of Visit NC, according to the press release. “Competition for travelers’ time and money is fierce, and we owe our success to everything from the state’s scenic beauty and outdoor adventures to our blend of tradition and innovation and our welcoming spirit. These qualities may be difficult to measure, but we can trace the path to a measurable impact on our workforce, our businesses and our tax base. We look forward to continued success.”
