Pitt County spending climbs as state tourism hits record high

PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - State tourism spending has hit a record high in 2025, according to the governor.

Governor Josh Stein says travelers have spent more than $37.2 billion on trips to and within North Carolina in 2025, topping 2024’s record of $36.7 billion spent.

State leaders say that spending supports jobs and small businesses, even as parts of western North Carolina continue recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.

WITN spoke with Pitt County officials today, who say spending continues to increase here with big draws to East Carolina University events, the convention center, and other recreational activities in the area.

“We’ve set records for tourism for the past 3 years. We know the state released its numbers today and saw increases as well. We are currently up about 3%, and we have a little time to go before the fiscal year, but we expect increases as well,” said Visit Greenville NC President Andrew Schmidt.

The announcement comes during National Travel and Tourism Week. Tourism-supported jobs rose to about 231,000 last year, payroll climbed to 8.8 billion, and visitor spending generated more than $2.7 billion in state and local tax revenue.