Wake County tourism industry sees growth

The Wake County tourism industry has seen an uptick in visitor spending, according to a report released by Visit Raleigh on Wednesday.

The tourism industry report for the third quarter showed an increase in tax collections from food and beverage and hotel lodging compared to last year.

In addition, hotel occupancy is up 19 percent from last year at this time.

Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) hosted 76 events attracting more than 75,800 people to the area in recent months.

"We had record months in July, August and September for both occupancy tax and prepared food and beverage tax collections," said Dennis Edwards, President and CEO of Visit Raleigh. "The sizable uptick in room nights sold (demand), and in turn hospitality tax collections YTD, illustrate the renewed desire to travel to Wake County for leisure activities like concerts and festivals along with meetings, conventions and sporting events."

Looking ahead, Visit Raleigh and GRSA have 97 events booked for future dates, with an estimated 96,400 room-nights of future business expected in Wake County. These events will produce a projected $68 million in economic impact.