The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau has released its 2023 State of Dare County Tourism annual report, which includes tourism-related numbers over the past fiscal year and dives into marketing efforts, grants, and other significant initiatives underway at the bureau.
“Traditionally, our job at the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau has been to attract visitors to Dare County and encourage travelers to spend their discretionary time and income at local businesses in our community,” said Lee Nettles, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director in the report’s preamble.
“As we continue to find new and creative ways of sharing our breathtaking 100 miles of coastline with the world, we aim to do so with
a greater sense of self-awareness and balance; ensuring that tourism works in harmony with the environment, culture, and quality of life for our residents,” Nettles said.
Dare County’s visitor economy generated $1.97 billion in spending in 2022, the fourth highest of any county in North Carolina, generating $66 million in state tax revenue and $74.2 million in local tax revenue.
There were 12,303 tourism-related jobs last year, making up 45.5% of all employment in Dare County, according to Tourism Economics, the U.S. Travel Association, and Visit NC.
The report also details how the county’s occupancy tax collections are brought in and distributed, grants that have been awarded from the funds collected on hotel/motel rooms and vacation rentals, the bureau’s voluntourism partnership with the Outer Banks Community Foundation, a summary of the Long Range Tourism Management Plan, and highlights from worldwide marketing efforts.
