We know Forsyth County is a great place to live, work, and play. Visitors are discovering that too. People who visited Forsyth County in 2023 spent a total of $1.05 billion, a 6.9% increase from spending in 2022. Here’s why that’s important:
- $72.6 million in state and local taxes were generated
- $272 million in personal income was earned from tourism
- 6,753 jobs were supported
Furthermore, visitor spending is saving residents money. Each NC household saved an average of $518 in taxes thanks to the economic boost.
Statewide successes
Visit NC commissioned the annual study to look at the impact of tourism statewide. Additional findings include:
- NC hosted ~43 million visitors in 2023.
- Domestic and international travelers spent a combined $35.6 billion in NC last year.
- More employees were hired to support tourism — direct tourism employment rose 4.8%.
Leading the charge
Forsyth County ranked ninth statewide for visitor spending. The county’s dedication to drawing people from out of town goes back to 1983. That’s when it was one of five counties to adopt a special tax on visitor accommodations. Today, about 61% of revenue from hotel tax + room occupancy tax go back into tourism efforts — the rest is distributed to municipal government.
Visit Winston-Salem, Forsyth County’s tourism bureau, is in charge of marketing the Greater Winston-Salem area. Its focus is attracting overnight visitors for business and leisure. It works closely with local businesses and venues like Benton Convention Center to attract small and large events.
“Visit Winston-Salem implements sales and marketing strategies that motivate meetings, groups, sporting events and leisure travelers to choose Forsyth County,” said Visit Winston-Salem President Stephanie Pace Brown. “These efforts create economic vitality by enhancing the customer base for our local businesses, supporting jobs, and generating taxes — all for the benefit of the people who live here.”
