Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1480910
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2022 UCW 15 Refreshments & door prizes! For more information: 910.484.6200 & Catering provided by Two Brothers Catering present The Alex Munroe Collection: October 11, 2022 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A r t w o r k b y C e l e b r i t i e s G A L L E R Y 2 0 8 Cumberland County ranks No. 12 in visitor spending by MICHAEL FUTCH, CityView Today Cumberland County ranked 12th among North Carolina's 100 counties in travel and tourism revenue in 2021, according to a new annual report. e report was compiled for Visit North Carolina, a tourism promotion agency, by research consultant Tourism Economics Inc. It shows that visitor spending totaled nearly $610 million last year and continues to play a sig- nificant role in the Cumberland County economy. Visit North Carolina is affiliated with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, a nonprofit agency that operates under contract with the N.C. De- partment of Commerce. According to the report, domes- tic tourism in Cumberland Coun- ty generated an economic impact of $608.85 million last year, which is about 35% higher than in 2020, a year that was affected by restric- tions related to COVID-19. Angie Brady, director of tourism marketing with the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that Cumberland County has ranked among the top 10 counties in years past. She has been with the tourism bureau for 14 years. "What I take from being (ranked) 12, there were a lot of counties that suffered much more loss during COVID," Brady said. "ey're seeing recovery at a higher rate. We are performing where we were performing pre- COVID in 2019. We didn't suffer as much as our coastal or moun- tain counterparts. "To see we're 12 out of 100 counties, I think, is fantastic. It should be celebrated. We know we're not a vacation destination," she said. A big part of what brings people here is the presence of Fort Bragg. "Families are coming here to visit people that live here — probably military-related — and they're taking their vacation time to come to visit," Brady said. "It's not that we're a vacation destina- tion." More than 4,550 jobs in the county were directly attributed to travel and tourism in 2021, the re- port said. at generated a $163.2 million payroll a year ago. State and local tax revenue for Cumberland County attributed to travel came to $46.3 million in 2021, the Visit North Carolina study found. "is represents a $138.49 tax savings for each household in the county," accord- ing to the report. At this time, Fayetteville resi- dents are seeing proposals and potential projects involving a N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction His- tory Center in the Haymount dis- trict and a Black Voices Museum that is planned for the downtown sector. Projects in the planning stages could boost tourism revenue lo- cally. Organizers of the planned N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction History Center have said that facility would be a destination for people from across the country with its educational focus on the war, emancipation and the Re- construction era. e Black Voices Museum, also in the planning phase, could be located downtown. "I see them as being assets that we can promote that are available in our community," Brady said. "It gives us more tools in our tool- box." According to Brady, the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is responsible for promoting all of Cumberland County. "What's good for the communi- ty is good for our visitor," she said. She said the Fayetteville Wood- peckers are more of a local draw, although Brady noted that the Minor League Baseball team draws fans from surrounding counties for games at Segra Sta- dium. "ey don't have that," she said of baseball fans who live in adjoining counties. "It's easy to get to." Besides the money spent by visitors, Brady said Fort Bragg is the major economic driver in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. "It's those contractors and all those people coming in, and the defense workers," she said. NEWS MICHAEL FUTCH, CityView Today. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200.