GREENSBORO, N.C. — Guilford County is quickly becoming a top destination for travelers across the country. It currently ranks among the top five vacation spots for tourists in North Carolina.
WFMY News 2, spoke with a tourism expert and local business owners to find out what keeps visitors coming back.
Greensboro, also known as Tournament Town, is becoming a major sports hub. It's home to one of the largest indoor arenas in the world, the Greensboro Coliseum, which can seat up to 23,000 people.
According to Sarah Lanse from Visit Greensboro, "Sports tourism is the number one source of tourism in Guilford County." From ACC tournaments to major concerts, these events have provided a significant boost to the county, generating nearly $1.7 billion in tourism revenue last year, a record-breaking amount.
Lanse added, "That money helps reduce the individual tax burden. So every Guilford County resident saves approximately $200 a year on their taxes because of the economic impact that these events bring in."
It's not just sports arenas benefiting from tourism, though. Local restaurants and shops also thrive. Andre Latoz of Pop Vintage noted, "Whether it's the Fourth of July, the Pride Parade, the Festival of Lights, or the Folk Festival, we see a lot of people from all over, including someone from Norway."
Aldo Proposido from Pizzeria L'Italiano added, "I've seen more people coming from out of town, especially with events at the Tanger Center. There's always a lot of people and buses coming through Greensboro."
However, for some, it’s still a struggle — both to retain workers and to keep customers coming through the doors.
Sarah Worsing, from 'cille & 'scoe, shared, "Once shows are gone, we usually end up closing a second day, Mondays and Tuesdays. And unless we have any reservations, it's really hard to gauge whether we should open at all."
Stay connected to local, national, and breaking news: Download the WFMY News 2 app.
►Text the word APP to 336-379-5775
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter, Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.