Dare meals collections set new record in 2024, occupancy third highest all-time
Dare County set a new record for prepared meals sales in 2024, while gross occupancy collections were the third highest all-time, and retail sales figures were on pace to finish second-best ever.
Predictions called for declines in tourism-related revenues due to the continued reset from the record visitation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the impacts of inflation on the overall economy.
There was also the turbulence of an election year, and the impact that can have on visitors, especially those from the Washington D.C.-area that is a key market for the Outer Banks.
According to the monthly report to the Dare County Tourism Board ahead of their meeting on Thursday, sales of prepared food and beverage items at restaurants and other establishments totaled $394,849,655 in 2024.
That was 1.57% ahead of the previous high mark set in 2023 of $388,736,266.
A new record for the month of December was set in 2023 of $16,400,335 in food and beverage sales, up 4.44% from the year before’s $15,703,818.
Nine months saw increases in gross meals collections when compared to the previous year, with only January, April and October seeing finishing below the same months in 2023.
For the year, Roanoke Island and the mainland dropped 2.55% to $28,217,265; Hatteras Island was down 0.46% from 2023 at $49,945,530; while the northern beaches were up 2.29% at $309,605,654.
Collections at Dare County accommodations totaled $786,141,330 in 2024, down 4.83% from 2023’s record of $825,997,500.
It was the fourth straight year that gross occupancy collections topped the $771 million mark.
For December, occupancy dropped 4.92% to $12,869,300, the second highest on record behind only 2023.
March, June, August and October were the only months in 2024 to see growth compared to 2023, although the number of Saturdays in each month that differed from the prior year played a role.
The Online Travel Company sector was down 3.1% to $13,085,566; Property Management Agencies -4.68%, $673,816,651; Motels/Hotels -6.11%, $97,885,902; Bed and breakfasts -16.7%, $1,830,299; Campgrounds -18.32%, $4,682,844.
Timeshares +7.37%, $2,736,765 and Cottages +18.29%, $5,188,869 were the only sectors to see growth in 2024.
Hatteras Island finished the year down 12.27% from 2023 at $194,047,429; the northern beach towns dropped 1.15% to $586,536,039; and Roanoke Island and the mainland were down 27.85% to $31,910,509.
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.
Through the end of November, retail establishments in Dare County reported sales of $108,336,322, down 2.01% from 2023.
Even without December’s figures, 2024 will be at least the third best year ever for retail sales.
At $7,638,058, November 2024 dropped 2.08% from the previous year, while extended the streak of $7 million-plus in the next to last month of the year to four.
Looking ahead to the 2025 visitor season, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau staff note that two major motorcoach companies specializing in student group travel have reported a weaker-than expected spring season for groups visiting the Outer Banks.
“Many of our spring student groups typically come from the western part of the state, where communities are still recovering from Hurricane Helene,” OBVB staff said. “As a result, several schools have postponed their 2025 spring trips to 2026.”
Young Transportation, originally set to transport 18 schools or student groups to the Outer Banks, now has only seven scheduled. Similarly, Christian Tours will bring eight groups, down from 14.
“While these figures represent just a portion of the total tours coming to the Outer Banks, they indicate a slowdown in the student travel market for Spring 2025,” according to OBVB.
