MCEDP

Visitors to Moore County spent nearly $860 million last year, putting the county in the top 10 for tourism expenditures in North Carolina for the fourth straight year.

Last year’s figure is up from $805 million in 2023, a 6.7 percent increase. Moore grew faster than about 80 counties across the state. The data was released by Visit NC, based on an annual study it commissions to measure the impact by tourists across the state.

“We knew it was going to be a pretty remarkable, or record-breaking year, because we had a U.S. Open,” said Phil Werz, President and CEO of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). “The expectations were that we would surpass, easily, the $805 million the previous year.”

Pinehurst Resort hosted its fourth U.S. Open Championship in 2024. According to a December report by the USGA, visitors spent $95.7 million in the region and drove more than 9,100 hotel stays in Moore County during the event.

Lodging for the year increased by 5 percent in the county for a total of $213 million. Recreation and retail saw the greatest increases between 2023 and 2024 at 9.5 and 9.4 percent respectively. That saw recreation spending total $126 million and retail expenditures reaching $71.6 million.

The sector with the greatest value spent was food and beverage, which accounted for $259.6 million. Transportation spending trailed lodging at $188.5 million.

The report calculates total spending saved each resident $546.46 in taxes. Local tax revenue amounted to $28.1 million derived from visitor spending, which is 7.6 percent more than the county received in 2023.

The CVB operates on a July to June fiscal year, as opposed to the calendar year measured in the report, but Werz said the county has continued to see visitor growth, up about 200,000 between its 2022-23 fiscal year and the year it just concluded from July 2024 to June 2025. That has translated into growth in occupancy tax collections.

He attributes that continued growth to other events and infrastructure investments, like a new hotel from McPeake Hotels in Aberdeen and the recent partnership between Mid Pines and Pine Needles and Marine & Lawn.

The study also reports on things like taxes and wages in the tourism sector. Natalie Hawkins, president of the Moore County Economic Development Partnership, said that she was struck by the increase in employment following the loss of around 2,000 workers in 2020 during COVID. Moore County now has nearly 6,300 people in tourism jobs, about 80 fewer than pre-pandemic levels.

This positive growth is shared by many around the state, with 71 of North Carolina’s 100 counties showing growth. Visitors contributed a total of $36.7 billion to the state and local economies. N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley attributed that to the variety of offerings visitors can experience.

“North Carolina has something for everyone, and that’s why so many of our destinations shared the wealth in a record year for visitor spending,” said Lilley in a news release. “Despite the impact of Hurricane Helene, this report speaks to the resilient and enduring appeal of the cultural, recreational and culinary experiences that make North Carolina a top choice for so many travelers.”

(Article by Frank Daniels IV, The Pilot)