Healthy tourism

Editorial by Wilmington Star-News, August 18, 2014.

Tourism in North Carolina is a $20 billion-a-year industry, and that's only counting what visitors – traveling for recreation or on business – actually spend here. That total does not take into account the total impact as employees and businesses that make a living in tourism pump the money back into the economy.

The $20 billion spent by visitors in 2013 was a record, and more than $1 billion of that total was spent in the Cape Fear region. If there were any doubt about the importance of tourism to this region – and the importance of policies that keep people wanting to come here – that figure should dispel it.

At the state level, the Department of Commerce estimates that 200,000 jobs owe their existence directly to the tourism industry. Why do people come to North Carolina? We have it all – mountains and beaches, bustling cities and rural charm, golf courses and a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.

As important as the tourism is, we know that we cannot depend on it and other low-wage service-sector industries for our state's economic future. But we also know we must not, in our zeal to attract new businesses and industries, relax environmental regulations that attract visitors and new residents.

It's a delicate balance, and many other industries also contribute to the state's appeal to tourists. Among those is the film industry, which is in danger should lawmakers hold fast to a drastic and detrimental change to the film incentives program.

In addition to creating more than 1,000 permanent jobs in the Cape Fear region alone, incentives that lure filmmakers to the state also bring actors and other crew members – visitors who stay and spend money here – as well as fans who come to Wilmington in hopes of spotting stars or visiting the locations of favorite movies and television shows.

It's not the main driver, by any means, but it does play a role. Likewise, historic preservation tax credits that are on their last legs have spurred revitalization in some communities and have encouraged property owners to save and restore older buildings. Gov. Pat McCrory had proposed changes to the program that would put the focus on historic property with the potential to generate revenue and, in turn, to fuel other investment.

Historic cities such as Wilmington and Edenton have seen the impacts of those credits, which are on course to expire at the end of the year. And history is a substantial tourist draw, especially in a state that is so rich in it, as North Carolina is. The credits are modest, but they increase the value of property and can spur other private investment, which in turn helps the economy.

Again, neither incentive program directly affects tourists' decision to vacation in North Carolina.

But they are examples that many seemingly unrelated factors contribute to our state's healthy tourism economy.

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