More signs of predicted ‘reset’ in Outer Banks site visitor numbers
The long-predicted “reset” of Outer Banks tourism after the Coronavirus pandemic continued to show signs in new data on the number of visitors to the area’s most popular sites in mid-spring.
According to the latest report from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, the majority of the key sites that track the number of people who come through their gates and doors were down from last year in the months of April and May.
That’s after the first quarter of 2024 saw 9 of the 12 sites had increases in attendance.
In April, eight sites had lower numbers when compared to the same month last year. For the month of May, there were just four that had declined visitation from 2023.
While occupancy and meals income in Dare County were up in March, the total numbers for the year so far continue to reflect numbers more in line with what industry officials expected to see immediately after the boom that followed the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore welcomed 197,239 visitors in April, down 13.8% from 2023.
It was the second lowest April this decade, but well ahead of 2020 when Dare County was closed to visitors during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were 267,243 visitors in the month of May, an increase of 7.1% over last year, and the third highest month of May behind only 2022 and 2021.
The Cape Hatteras Light Station Visitor Center in Buxton was down by 12.1% (33,536) in April and 11.5% (37,508) in May when compared to last year.
Some of that decline is attributable to the $19.2 million renovation project of the station and the nation’s tallest brick beacon that is scheduled to last until late 2025.
The Bodie Island Lighthouse set a new record for the number of people that bought climbing tickets for the month of April with 1,680, and then shattered the all-time record for any month with 4,403 in May.
National Parks of Eastern North Carolina spokesperson Mike Barber noted that Bodie Island climbing was only available Wednesday to Sunday between 2021 and 2023,
This year, the lighthouse opened to climbing earlier in the month in April than previous years, is back to being open 7 days a week, and there were more evening climbs that took place this spring.
The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau operates four visitor centers in Dare County:
- Aycock Brown, Kitty Hawk: April 2,698 (-11.4%); May 3,116 (-7.8%)
- Whalebone Junction: April 979 (-18.5%); May 1,098 (-16.1%)
- Sarah Owens, Roanoke Island: April 1,773 (-9.4%); May 2,327 (+8.0%)
- Hatteras village Weather Station: April 428 (+12.9%); May 542 (+35.8%)
The number of vehicles transported by the N.C. Department of Transportation Ferry Division route across Hatteras Inlet was down 14.1% in April to 16,215, with passenger counts down 18.9% (35,296).
Overwash caused a closure of N.C. 12 on the north end of Ocracoke Island for two days in early April, with a portion of the roadway being undermined.
In May, there were 22,135 vehicles (+2.3%) and 49,289 (+2.4%) passengers that made the 90-minute journey on the vehicular vessels between.
The Ocracoke Express passenger-only ferry season began service on May 23, with 1,115 riding from Hatteras Harbor to Silver Lake Harbor, an increase of 15.5% from the same period in 2023.
Not an ounce of bad news in the downturn. We can only hope it continues as no matter how much the reduction it still will not be enough.