Tourist
County in
Spending in
Western NC
the County
(all data for 2014)
($ Millions)

Alleghany Co.
Ashe Co.
Avery Co.
Buncombe Co.
Burke Co.
Caldwell Co.
Cherokee Co.
Clay Co.
Cleveland Co.
Graham Co.
Haywood Co.
Henderson Co.
Jackson Co.
Macon Co.
Madison Co.
McDowell Co.
Mitchell Co.
Polk Co.
Rutherford Co.
Surry Co.
Swain Co.
Transylvania Co.
Watauga Co.
Wilkes Co.
Yadkin Co.
Yancey Co.

TOTAL

$23.21
$50.07
$110.64
$963.00
$91.34
$49.95
$39.38
$13.00
$96.74
$25.71
$161.59
$246.41
$171.16
$148.78
$34.67
$52.58
$21.97
$23.93
$157.59
$113.50
$186.93
$86.41
$225.77
$70.04
$35.07
$34.51

$3.23
Billion

% Change in
tourist
spending 2014
over 2013

5.5%
5.0%
5.4%
6.9%
5.5%
4.3%
6.4%
3.9%
5.2%
3.5%
4.0%
5.6%
5.0%
5.6%
5.6%
3.6%
4.3%
2.7%
4.7%
2.5%
2.7%
2.5%
4.2%
3.8%
5.0%
5.3%

Avg:
+4.9%

Worker
Paychecks
Generated
by Tourism
($ Millions)

Jobs
Generated
by Tourism

$4.09
$7.23
$24.84
$204.66
$13.01
$7.37
$5.89
$1.40
$13.70
$4.35
$33.09
$43.27
$38.78
$25.26
$6.61
$7.72
$3.28
$3.37
$21.94
$16.10
$52.00
$15.37
$48.90
$10.09
$5.91
$5.50

180
380
1,220
10,230
680
340
310
60
650
250
1,640
2,120
1,660
1,220
320
410
160
180
1,170
790
2,050
740
2,570
520
340
240

$623.7
million

30,430
jobs

NC State
Taxes
Generated
by Tourism
($ Millions)

$1.07
$2.50
$5.34
$47.27
$4.87
$2.64
$1.80
$0.52
$5.53
$1.17
$8.63
$10.79
$9.17
$6.45
$1.73
$2.68
$0.94
$1.21
$9.13
$6.10
$11.25
$3.23
$10.90
$3.34
$1.82
$1.50

$161.58
million

Local County
Taxes
Generated by
Tourism
($ Millions)

$1.53
$2.65
$4.82
$30.86
$2.54
$1.52
$2.28
$1.42
$1.68
$1.70
$5.97
$10.41
$7.75
$11.68
$1.57
$1.87
$0.94
$1.34
$4.69
$2.41
$4.07
$3.92
$8.73
$1.66
$0.84
$2.39

$121.24
million

Tourism's
Economic Impact on
Western North Carolina,
2014
Source: "The Economic Impact of Travel on North
Carolina Counties, 2014."
This study was prepared for the North Carolina
Division of Tourism, Film, and Sports Development
by the U.S. Travel Association.

Presented at the Western Carolina University
LEAD: Tourism Conference,
November 10, 2015
in Cullowhee, NC

Dr. Steve Morse
Director, Hospitality & Tourism Program
Western Carolina University, College of Business
1 University Drive, Cullowhee, NC 28723
(828) 227-3386
scmorse@wcu.edu

 Tourism Tax Relief Per Household:
Western North Carolina, 2014
“How To Say It” Guide
General Statement: (You fill in the blanks)
Each of the (Insert column #2 here) households in (YOUR) County pay (insert column #3 here)
less in state and local taxes as a result of taxes generated by tourist spending in the county.

Example using Jackson County, NC:
Each of the 26,574 households in Jackson County pay $626 less in state and local taxes as a
result of taxes generated by tourist spending in the county.

Column #1

Column #2

Column #3

County in
Western NC

Total No. of
Households in
County,

Tourism Tax
Relief per
Household,

Alleghany Co.
Ashe Co.
Avery Co.
Buncombe Co.
Burke Co.
Caldwell Co.
Cherokee Co.
Clay Co.

Cleveland Co.
Graham Co.
Haywood Co.
Henderson Co.
Alternative way to say it for Jackson County, NC:
Jackson Co.
If it were not for the state and local taxes paid by tourists visiting Jackson County, each Jackson
Macon Co.
County household would pay $626 MORE in state and local taxes to replace the taxes
Madison Co.
generated by tourist spending.
McDowell Co.
SOURCE:
Mitchell Co.
“The Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties., 2014.” This study was prepared for the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development by the U.S. Travel Association. Additional analysis by Dr. Steve Morse, Economist, Western Caroli- Polk Co.
na University, and HT 438—Hospitality & Tourism Strategy class, Fall Semester 2015. U.S. Census Bureau, Number of Household
Rutherford Co.
Units in North Carolina Counties, 2014; www.census.gov
Surry Co.
Swain Co.
Presented at the Western
Transylvania Co.
Carolina University
Watauga Co.
LEAD: Tourism Conference,
Wilkes Co.
Nov. 10, 2015
Yadkin Co.
in Cullowhee, NC
Yancey Co.

8,139
17,468
14,027
100,838
40,656
37,590
17,690
7,220

$319
$294
$704
$775
$182
$110
$230
$268

43,264
5,930
35,087
55,478
26,574
25,331
10,684
20,909
8,737
11,462
33,884
33,556
8,793
19,355
32,957
33,158
17,235
11,049

$219

$460
$549
$382
$626
$716
$309
$212
$215
$218
$380
$254
$1,742
$369
$595
$182
$149
$352