Domestic tourism in Beaufort County generated $70.99 million in 2013, down 0.13 percent from the $71.08 generated in 2012, according to study data provided by the state.

The study, performed annually, was prepared for the N.C. Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development by the U.S. Travel Association. The study is known as The Economic Impact of Travel On North Carolina Counties.

Lynn Wingate, Washington’s tourism-development director, isn’t overly concerned with the slight decrease from 2012 to 2013.

“From a statistical standpoint, a drop of .1 percent is negligible. To me, it indicates that the economic impact of tourism here is holding steady. The real point of the research as prepared for the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development by the US Travel Association is that tourism generated an economic impact in Beaufort County of more than $70 million.  That is the real story!” Wingate wrote in an email.

“Tourism figures are hard to calculate because so much more goes into it than counting widgets like traditional industries. The model used to conduct the research is extensive and is used across the country as the method for calculating impact. The model for the calculations can be found at http://www.nccommerce.com/Portals/8/Documents/Research/EconomicImpact/TEIM/TEIM_Methodology.pdf,” she continued.

“These calculations have been available for Beaufort County since 1991, with the introduction of the first occupancy tax legislation. Since 1991, Beaufort County has only experienced a decrease in impact three times. Two of those were less than one percent,” Wingate wrote.

“The bottom line is that tourism IS economic development. The State’s report shows that 430 jobs can be directly attributed to travel and tourism. As a taxpayer, the best news to me is that every county resident enjoys an annual tax savings of $160 because of visitors. With the assets that we have in Beaufort County, we anticipate seeing those numbers continue to increase,” she noted.

In 2013, the county ranked 48^th in travel impact among the state’s 100 counties. In 2012, the county ranked 47^th. It ranked 46^th in 2011. From 2011 to 2012, the county saw its domestic-tourism impact increase from $70.36 million to $71.08, an increase of 1.02 percent.

In 2013, more than 430 jobs in Beaufort County were directly attributable to travel and tourism, according to the study. Travel generated an $8.97 million payroll in 2013, up from an $8.88 million payroll in 2012.

In 2013, state and local tax revenues generated by travel and tourism in Beaufort County amounted to $7.67 million, which represents a $160.49 tax savings to each county resident, according to the study. Local and state taxes generated by travel in Beaufort County came to $7.59 million in 2012, representing a tax savings of $158.45 for each county resident, according to the 2012 study.

The largest increase from one year to the next year came in 2005, when the economic impact of domestic tourism jumped 11.97 percent over the impact in 2004.