After shutdown losses, NC tourism looks for a boost from in-state travelers
North Carolina is a tourism powerhouse. From the glories of the Great Smokies to the allure of the Outer Banks, our mountains-to-sea variety attracts more than 51 million visitors a year. We’re the sixth-most-popular state in the country for welcoming out-of-state visitors.
The coronavirus pandemic brought much of that traffic to a crashing halt, putting nearly two-thirds of the state’s hospitality workers out of a job. Travel spending in North Carolina is off a staggering 70% so far this year, creating the largest crisis the tourism industry has ever faced.
“It was a real jolt for us,” said Bill Cecil, President and CEO of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, during a discussion last month with N.C. State University’s Institute for Emerging Issues. Cecil said it’s the first prolonged closure of Biltmore since World War II, driving home just how grave this moment has been for resorts, hotels, tour operators, and restaurants across the state.
As people begin to venture back out, the state’s tourism sector is figuring out what a COVID-cautious future will look like. More hand sanitizer, for sure, and masks galore. But more than that, the geography of tourism is likely to change.
Millions of Americans have gotten used to taking long trips across the country or across the world, taking advantage of cheap airfare and easy travel planning. But at least for a while, most of us will be sticking closer to home.
That means a lot more home-state rambling, which could make up at least a little of the out-of-state traffic that helped sustain local economies from Old Fort to New Bern.
“We get out of this by showing people travel can happen in a safe way,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “There will be new dynamics to tourism and it will be competitive, but North Carolina is well-positioned because we’re perfect for what people want: space, outdoors.”
We also have a chance to spread the travel wealth . Lots of Raleighites and Charlotteans have spent a weekend in Asheville or Wrightsville, but far fewer have walked the quiet beaches at Cedar Island or strolled the lovely streets of Elkin. This should be a moment for smaller, less-crowded destinations to shine.
“We’re fortunate that a lot of our amenities are outdoor amenities,” said Jeff Eidson, head of Explore Elkin. And businesses are adapting. “Now if you go to the wineries, instead of being at a tasting counter inside they’re handling it with glasses and bottles of wine outdoors and spread out..”
Hotels, restaurants, and resorts are doing all they can to show that new procedures and enhanced cleaning will keep the virus at bay. People won’t get back on the road unless they feel confident the tourism industry is taking all the necessary steps to protect public health.
Surveys show deep worries among the residents in vacation destinations about travelers bringing infection even as they bring much-needed tourism dollars. A May survey found more than half of community members aren’t yet ready to welcome visitors, and well over half of North Carolinians aren’t interested in traveling until the public health situation improves.
Keeping tourism dollars closer to home might be good for more than the bottom line. A lot of North Carolinians are relative newcomers: about half of the adults in our state were born elsewhere, and those self-chosen Tar Heels are concentrated in bigger cities. Now’s the time to see all the parts of North Carolina you’ve been missing, to create some lasting memories in small towns and out-of-the-way parks. We might yet come out of this feeling a little more connected to the state we share.
I This is a chance for all of us in North Carolina to slow down, find the road less traveled, and see more of this glorious place we call home.