Tourism in Wake County hits new record, Visit Raleigh says
Wake County saw a record year for tourism in 2023.
A year-end 2023 Wake County Tourism report from Visit Raleigh shows both the hotel lodging and prepared food and beverage tax collections were $82.6 million, nearly $10 million more than 2022, which was another record year.
County commissioner Vickie Adamson says the numbers are "exciting" as the county exceeds national and state averages.
“Visitors create tens of thousands of jobs and put a lot of money in the local economy,” Adamson said.
Additionally, tourism tax dollars help enhance venues such as PNC Arena and the Raleigh Convention Center.
Both venues are used to host events such as sports, concerts, and conventions, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the area.
County leaders voted for more money to make improvements to both facilities.
Adamson notes tourism tax collections to people who call Wake County home.
“Our residents get the benefit of world-class facility use that our tourist tax dollars pay for,” she said.
Wake County drew more than $38 million in hotel revenue in 2023, a more than 15% increase from 2022, according to the report.
Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Alliance hosted more than 350 events, welcoming over 6.2 million people to the area.
Patrick Justesen, a visitor from Las Vegas, said she was attracted to the city’s attractions.
“I want to see the state capitol, take a tour of that,” Justesen told WRAL News.
Nearly 400 events were booked for future dates, projected to bring with them $206 million in direct economic impact.
Wake County leaders say they plan to use tourism tax dollars to fund a 500-room Omni Hotel in downtown Raleigh to help generate additional money for the local economy.
