City Of Raleigh Loans Money To Help Struggling Tourism Industry

The city of Raleigh is reaching into its coffers to help the struggling tourism industry.

The city will loan $125,000 to the

Convention and Visitors Bureau

to promote tourism. Hotel occupancy plummetted after Sept. 11, and experts do not expect it to improve until 2003.

The Visitors Bureau is also suffering, because it relies on funding from the hotel occupancy tax.

County commissioners also made a loan in the same amount.

The bureau will spend the $250,000 on efforts to bring more visitors to Raleigh.