N.C. Officials: Terrorism Won't Hurt Tourism

By Russ Thompson
Staff Writer

Despite a troubled airline industry, officials said North Carolina's tourism industry should fair well.

North Carolina's tourism industry is worth more than $12 billion and brings in more than $1.1 billion to the state through tax revenue.

In an effort to help support the state's tourism industry, the N.C. Travel and Tourism Board crafted a plan to monitor people's opinions on the industry.

A survey of 700 households in seven states will be used to judge consumer confidence after the recent terrorist attacks.

A "Tourism Barometer" will be used to keep track of the number of tourists coming through the state, and marketing strategies will be changed to focus on the contiguous states.

Christine Mackey, public relations director for the state Chamber of Commerce, said she does not predict a dramatic decrease in tourism in the wake of the terrorist attacks because the state's tourism is not dependent on the airline industry.

"I don't know that the state is expected to lose money from this," Mackey said. "We are a drive destination. We aren't relying on air travel."

Mackey said that if the industry did suffer in North Carolina, the mountains would be hit harder than other tourist destinations.

"So far, our leaf season still looks fairly booked," she said. "If there were a huge decrease, the mountain destinations would be the hardest hit."

Peter Morris, a spokesman for North Carolina's High Country, said tourism is still doing well -- if not better than usual -- in the mountains.

"For October almost everything is packed," Morris said. "I think the trend in these times is to get in the car."

Mackey also said the high cost of cancellation has aided in protecting coastal destinations.

"Coastal destinations haven't seen a great deal of cancelling, but many are weeklong rentals, so there is more to lose if you cancel," she said. "For the last couple of weeks we've seen a very steady traffic."

But Connie Nelson, commerce director for the Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, said it could be months before the effects of the attacks will be known.

"The week of the attack we had some international groups that rescheduled," Nelson said. "But the international market is not one of our large markets."

A study done in 2000 found that 70 percent of the coast's tourism came from leisure travelers, 15 percent from meetings and conventions, 10 percent from businesses and corporations and 5 percent from group travelers.

Mackey said she thinks leisure travel would fare better than business travel.

She said, "German and French flights into Charlotte have been suspended."

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