When the pandemic hit in March 2020, many people put their travel plans on hold.
The amount of money spent by visitors within North Carolina dropped 32% in 2020 to $19.96 billion, according to Visit North Carolina.
When some people started traveling again, many visited small or rural towns. In 2021, Airbnb reported a 128% increase in nights booked in rural areas compared with 2019. For the same period, rural stays extending more than four weeks grew 160%.
Here in North Carolina that was even greater.
“We've seen more than a 200% increase in people staying more than 28 days in Airbnbs in rural North Carolina," Wit Tuttell, the executive director of Visit North Carolina, said. "They're staying for a long time."
Tuttell is hoping the trend continues.
This week, Visit NC launched Dream Big in Small Town NC, an initiative to boost economic recovery by attracting travelers and potential workers to small towns in 16 counties. The initiative was created by the North Carolina General Assembly and is funded with $1.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
[ Ссылка ]
