Tourism is on the rise in Forsyth County. That’s according to a report recently shared by a local agency.
Last year, tourists spent over a billion dollars during visits to the area.
“I think people are often really surprised to learn that more than 7 million people visit Forsyth County every year," says Stephanie Pace Brown, president and CEO of Visit Winston-Salem, the marketing agency for tourism in the area. "And we rank ninth out of 100 counties in North Carolina for visitor spending."
Brown says hotel revenue was up by about 10% last fiscal year, to more than $140 million.
“And we know that typically, for every $1 that’s spent on lodging by visitors, another $4 is spent on restaurants, retail, recreation, entertainment and transportation," she says. "That's money in local cash registers.”
Several new events brought out-of-town visitors to the county, including the Cook Out Clash. The race attracted around 15,000 NASCAR fans to Bowman Gray Stadium. The event is set to return to Winston-Salem in February.