RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - North Carolina tourism spending hit a record in 2014, with a total of $21.3 billion, representing a 5.4 percent jump over 2013. The data was released as part of Tourism Week in North Carolina.

Local tax receipts from visitor spending grew 5.8 percent to $636.1 million in 2014, and state tax receipts rose 3.9 percent to nearly $1.1 billion.

Tourism industry supported employment topped 200,000 jobs, according to the release from Gov. Pat McCrory's office.

Other data:
 
 
• Domestic travelers spent a record $21.3 billion in 2014, up from $20.2 billion in 2013. That’s an increase of 5.4 percent.
 
• Visitors to North Carolina generated more than $3.2 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2014.
 
• Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 3.3 percent, to 204,800. This was the largest growth since 2000 and marks the first time direct tourism employment has topped 200,000.
 
• Direct tourism payroll increased 7.1 percent to $4.9 billion.
 
• Visitors spend more than $58 million per day in North Carolina. That spending adds more than $4.6 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $2.9 million in state taxes and $1.7 million in local taxes).
 
• Each North Carolina household saves $455 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.  
 
• More than 44,000 businesses in North Carolina directly provide products and services to travelers, with travelers directly contributing more than 26 percent to their total products and services.
 
• For every $1 invested in paid media advertising by Visit North Carolina (a unit of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina), the state receives $184 in new visitor spending, $9 in new state taxes and $6 in new local taxes.  
 
• For every $1.21 invested by the Division of Tourism is paid media advertising, one trip is generated to the state.  
 
• North Carolina enjoys a 15-to-1 return on investment of tax dollars invested in paid media advertising through the Division of Tourism.