Just six years after hosting the Democratic National Convention, Charlotte is preparing to take on the Republican National Convention in 2020, and the local governing board and businesses are looking forward to the potential benefits that come with hosting such a big event.
Tariq Bokhari, a member of the Charlotte Town Council, said Charlotte has become a hub for younger generations.
“Charlotte is a top 20 South city that is rapidly growing," Bokhari said. "It’s the number one city in America for millennial relocations. It’s where young people want to be.”
The movement of young people into Charlotte offers the Republican Party a potential for persuading voters.
Planning is already taking place on a weekly basis. Charlotte Town Council member Larken Egleston said local businesses are expecting an influx of customers, and hotels just outside Charlotte are already completely booked.
“The RNC makes a lot of sense from an economic impact,” Bokhari said.
Bokhari added that the convention will bring a lot of revenue to Charlotte's small businesses as well. Over the coming months, Egleston said representatives from the Republican Party will be coming into Charlotte to find the best hotels and restaurants in the area.
In 2012, after the DNC, an economic impact of approximately $163.6 million was recorded, mostly in the hospitality industry. This was calculated through direct, indirect and induced spending.
Egleston said one in nine people of Charlotte’s workforce are in hospitality.
