Retail sales in Dare County in 2024 finished at their second-highest total all-time, down slightly from the record set the previous year.
And occupancy and prepared meals gross collections are off to a higher start in 2025.
According to a report to the Dare County Tourism Board ahead of their meeting on Thursday, gross collections on retail sales closed out the year at $114,026,433.
That’s 2.24% off 2023, when $116,639,257 was collected by retailers in Dare County, and was the fourth-straight year retail sales finished in the $100 million range.
Retail sales in December 2024 were $5,690,111, a 6.38% drop from the previous year, ending a five year streak of growth in the final month of the year.
The only months of growth from the previous year in 2024 were July (+6.18%) and September (2.24%). May had the largest percentage drop from 2023 (-7.19%), followed by August (-6.86%) and October (-6.83%).
July 2024 had the biggest dollar growth from the year prior of $980,854, while August 2024 had the largest decline of $1,327,708.
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles noted at the time that the shift in retail sales, occupancy and meals collections for the same months could be attributed to the the number of weekends in each month compared to the year before.
After three straight years of five months (June through October) topping $10 million each, only four months (July through October) saw retail sales eclipse the same mark in 2024.
Occupancy gross collections in January 2025 were $16,704,519, up 7.16% from a year ago.
That’s around half the record amount for the month collected in 2023 of $32,326,040, but still more than double the amount collected prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 of $8,223,680.
The Timeshare sector grew 99.92% in January, Bed and Breakfasts +47.61%; Campgrounds +41.36%; Property Management Agencies +9.63%; Motels/Hotels -13.04%; and Cottages -38%.
All three geographic districts were up from January 2023, led by Hatteras Island +23.55%, Roanoke Island/Mainland +6.68% and Northern Beaches +4.85%.
Prepared meals sales in January totaled $11,603,500, a growth of 3.79% from 2024, second highest all-time, and the fifth straight year that cleared $10 million.
The Northern Beach district was up 5.01%, while Hatteras Island was down slightly (-0.44%) and Roanoke Island/Mainland was off by -1.8%.
The figures presented in the report are used to calculate revenues the county generates from the 6% occupancy tax and 1% prepared food and beverage tax, which then funds promotion of the Outer Banks, along with grants for events and tourism-related impacts.
Beach nourishment projects are also funded in part using 2% of the hotel room/vacation rental tax.
The Dare County Tourism Board will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau administrative offices on Roanoke Island.
Along with hearing the finance report, other items on the agenda include requests to extend tourism impact grants, and reviews of fireworks and event grant award recommendations.
