2024 Visitor Impact for Surry County, North Carolina

County Spending Increases by 6.2% to $160.93 million

Mount Airy, N.C. (Released August 2025) — Domestic and international visitors to and within Surry County spent $160.93 million in 2024, an increase of 6.2% from 2023. The data comes from an annual study commissioned by Visit NC, part of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

“The latest figures from Visit North Carolina emphasize just how essential tourism is to Surry County’s economy. Beyond supporting thousands of jobs and generating millions in tax revenue, visitor spending provides direct savings—offsetting $154.68 in local taxes for every county resident. Tourism continues to drive growth by bringing in outside dollars that circulate throughout our community. The industry’s impact is broad: $36.49 million in lodging, $54.73 million in food and beverage, $17.33million in recreation, $12.48 million in retail, and $39.90 million in transportation. Together, these sectors highlight how deeply tourism supports our local economy. Surry County delivers a robust tourism experience, offering lodging variety, acclaimed dining, thriving wineries and breweries, distinctive shopping, and exceptional outdoor recreation that together strengthen its position as a premier travel destination”

-Jessica Icenhour Roberts, Executive Director

Tourism Impact Highlights for 2024:

• The travel and tourism industry directly employees more than 920 people in Surry County.
• Total labor income generated by the tourism industry in Surry County was $39.77 million. 
• State tax revenue generated in Surry County totaled $6.44 million through state sales and excise taxes, and taxes on personal and corporate income. About$4.66 million in local taxes were generated from occupancy, sales and property tax revenue from travel-generated and travel-supported businesses.

These statistics come from the “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2024,” which can be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies. The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics.

Statewide, visitor spending in 2024 rose 3.1 percent to reach a record $36.7 billion. Direct tourism employment increased 1.4 percent to $230,338.

“The study confirms the strength of North Carolina’s tourism industry,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “The fact of spending growth, even in the headwinds of Hurricane Helene, underscores the industry’s vitality and the appeal of our destinations and the authentic cultural, recreational and culinary experiences that travelers find rewarding.”

Tuttell noted that while the data includes the three months of 2024 that followed the storm, the study’s timing, methodology and purpose are not intended to be an evaluation of storm impact on visitation or spending, but a gauge of the overall health of the visitor economy for 2024.

“It’s certainly an indication of where the effects were felt,” he said, “but given the complexities of the tourism industry and the timeframe of this research, we need to resist the temptation to view the data as a definitive report of the storm’s economic impact. As travelers return, we will celebrate the resiliency behind the mountain recovery efforts that fortify the industry and underscore its value to our workforce, our businesses and our tax base.”

NC Tourism Facts:

• Total spending by domestic and international visitors in North Carolina reached $36.7 billion in 2024. That sum represents a 3.1% increase over 2023 expenditures.
• Domestic travelers spent a record $35.6 billion in 2024. Spending was up 2.7% from $34.6 billion in 2023.
• International travelers spent $1.2 billion in 2024, up 16.5% from the previous year.
• Visitors to North Carolina generated nearly $4.6 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2024. The total represents a 2.9% increase from 2023.
• State tax receipts from visitor spending rose 1.1% to nearly $1.4 billion in 2024.
• Local tax receipts grew 4.3% to nearly $1.3 billion.
• Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 1.4% to 230,338.
• Direct tourism payroll increased 2.6% to $9.5 billion.
• Visitors spend more than $100 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds $7.3 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.7 million in state taxes and $3.6 million in local taxes).
• Each North Carolina household saved $593 on average in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state. Savings per capita averaged $242.

Contact:

Jessica Icenhour Roberts, Executive Director of Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority & Tourism Partnership of Surry County

200 North Main Street, Mount Airy NC 27030

[email protected]

(336) 786-6116 Ext. 207