Gov. Josh Stein touted the importance of tourism Tuesday in remarks to more than 500 travel industry professionals in Asheville.
The governor’s speech came on the second day of a visit to Western North Carolina.
There are many economic benefits of tourism, he said. Visitors spent nearly $37 billion in the state in 2024 alone, he told attendees at Visit NC Tourism Conference, a gathering of industry leaders from all of the state’s 100 counties.
“That's revenue that supports our schools, our roads, our parks, and public safety,” Stein told the crowd at the Omni Grove Park Inn. “In fact, on average, tourism saves the typical North Carolina household about $600 a year in state and local taxes.”
Hurricane Helene devastated much of Western North Carolina in late 2024, with local small businesses losing an average of $322,000 due to the storm. The tourism and hospitality industries, a major driver of the region’s economy, have since been on a slow but steady recovery.
Stein has been vocal in encouraging travelers to visit Western North Carolina in the wake of the historic storm.
“As the state works hard to rebuild from Hurricane Helene, it was important for us to let the country know – to let the world know – that Western North Carolina has reopened for business,” Stein said Tuesday.
During his visit to the west, Stein also held a listening session on rural issues with local business, nonprofit and government leaders in McDowell County. The discussion focused on education, public safety, health care and economic development.
Several of the participants in Monday’s roundtable said housing is the top issue in their communities. Kim Effler, President and CEO of the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce, said access to workforce housing is the number-one challenge cited by major employers in the county.
“This must be on our radar if we want to continue to retain and attract jobs in rural communities like McDowell,” she said.
One-third of North Carolina’s population, or about 3.5 million people, live in rural areas. That’s more than any other state except Texas.
Stein will be holding several more listening sessions in rural counties over the coming months, including one in Jackson County in May.
