Arthur is a business traveler that comes to Davidson on a bi-monthly basis. He chronicled his most recent stopover for Visit Lake Norman, so we could get an idea of the contribution a lone visitor can make in a 24 hour period. After traveling from his home in Columbia, SC, Arthur stopped at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Huntersville for coffee refill and filled up his gas tank at the CITGO on Statesville Rd. He met his appointment in Davidson and they lunched at 131 Main Restaurant in Cornelius. After his appointment he stopped at the Harris Teeter in Davidson to pick up some essentials and checked into the Homewood Suites. He and his CEO, who drove in from Greensboro to meet him, dined at North Harbor Club for dinner then purchased a couple of novelties at Lake Norman Cottage. The CEO fueled up at the Davidson Exxon before leaving. The next morning, Arthur stopped at the same Exxon station for road supplies, and left for his next destination.
In less than 24 hours, Arthur made 8 stops in our three towns in which he spent money. At each stop, he paid sales tax or a combination of taxes that contribute directly to our local economy. If one traveler, in a short period of time, can contribute taxes at 8 different places, imagine the impact of hundreds of overnight visitors coming in for a 5-day fishing tournament, a festival, or a weekend-long soccer series. Visitor spending plays a crucial part in supporting a local economy. The dollars spent come from outside our community, yet contribute to the expansion of our schools, our roads, our police force and fire stations, saving local households hundreds in state and local taxes they would have to pay otherwise to achieve the same growth.
State and local tax revenues from visitor spending in Mecklenburg County saved every household in our county $304.* Last year, Visit Lake Norman sponsored events contributed $45.5 Million in direct visitor spending to Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville. We were able to increase our return on investment to our towns by 61%, despite the downfall of the economy.**
In 1983, the US Congress passed a joint resolution for the designation of a National Travel and Tourism Week to celebrate the power of travel. In a 1984 White House Ceremony, President Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to recognize the importance of the week with “the appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
President Reagan
Join Visit Lake Norman, as we celebrate National Tourism Week, May 10-14. Come by our Visitor Center, adjacent to the Chamber offices, and register to win home-town vacation packages, enjoy food, fun, festivities giveaways PLUS help us in collecting donations for local non-profits. In the face of an unsure economic climate, Visit Lake Norman has not only sustained our contribution to our local economy but expanded it, making tourism a vital player in our community’s growth. That is something to celebrate!
*Source: NC Department of Commerce,
** Contact Visit Lake Norman for statistics
