COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, with the travel industry among the hardest hit, but recently released figures for Surry County reveal a strong foundation signaling that brighter days could be headed back down the road.
This is reflected in a visitor-impact report for the B.C. (before coronavirus) period which emerged earlier this month, showing that Surry ranked 39th out of North Carolina’s 100 counties in tourism spending during 2019.
A local tourism promoter believes this and other factors are evidence that a return to prominence is in store as the area gradually rebounds.
Domestic visitors to and within the county spent $137.79 million last year, an increase of 5.3% from 2018, which includes U.S. residents traveling within the country as opposed to international visitors. That total reflects expenditures on goods and services during their trips, such as lodging, transportation, meals, entertainment and retail shopping.
The breakdown further shows that the travel and tourism industry directly employed more than 880 people in Surry in 2019, representing a payroll of $21.03 million. Both those figures were up from the year before, according to an annual study commissioned by Visit North Carolina, a unit of the state Economic Development Partnership.
“These latest numbers released from Visit North Carolina clearly demonstrate the importance of tourism as a strong economic driver and contributor to the local economy by providing jobs and tax revenue to Surry County,” local tourism official Jessica Roberts commented.
“We are proud to be ranked 39th out of 100 counties in tourism expenditures,” added Roberts, the executive director of the Mount Airy Tourism Development Authority (TDA), who also is involved with activities on the county level.
“And with several new wineries opening up this year and next year in Surry County, we will continue to see our tourism efforts grow.”
This has been the case historically, with Roberts pointing out that in the past 10 years, expenditures in this realm have grown by nearly 50% year by year in Surry from the previous decade, from $95.02 million to $137.79 million.
The study was prepared for Visit North Carolina by the U.S. Travel Association, based on highly detailed data provided by the former along with information from nationally known private and non-profit travel organizations and other industry statistics.
Post-pandemic outlook
On Sept. 3, Roberts said during a quarterly report to the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners that to no one’s surprise, the bottom dropped out this year where local tourism spending is concerned — starting in April and stretching through the summer.
This has been accompanied by cancellations or postponements of heavily attended events such as fiddlers conventions, the Budbreak wine and craft beer festival, cruise-ins, the county fair and the largest of all, the Mount Airy Autumn Leaves Festival.
The 31st-annual Mayberry Days festival celebrating “The Andy Griffith Show,” which concludes today, has been an exception as the area exhibits signs of recovery. And attendance for it appeared down, including a glaring absence of celebrities from the TV series starring the local native, who typically participate.
Local tourism efforts are now in a regrouping mode, according to Roberts, reflecting optimism that the strength highlighted in the 2019 report will allow a recovery to those levels and possibly beyond.
“We are focusing on everything we had to cancel for 2020 to be rescheduled for 2021,” she explained.
That includes Mount Airy hosting events such as the Fire and Iron National Motorcycle Rally that was scheduled for July, which Roberts says the city is seeking to accommodate in July 2021.
Roberts also mentioned a fall Cycle NC event with more than 700 cyclists, an Our State Magazine Weekend, bus tours and car groups, AAU basketball tournaments “and many other meetings and groups we have targeted to come and visit Mount Airy and Surry County.”
There are also hopeful signs for the short term, in Roberts’ view, which Surry County’s abundance of outdoor activities is fueling.
“Many of our visitors prior to the pandemic were coming by vehicle and were leisure visitors, and that is the trend as well right now with who is traveling,” the tourism official said. “Visitors still feel safe doing things outdoors, visiting family and friends, taking a road trip — they feel safest currently in their cars, where they can control their environment.”
Roberts says small towns such as Mount Airy will be places of choice for day trips and shopping, noting that visitors are starting with local and regional travel including short day and overnight ventures.
Folks who live here also are “rediscovering our own backyards” by visiting sites around the area, she said.
“Shoulder season” role
The tourism official additionally cited opportunities during the shoulder season — a travel industry term referring to off-seasons such as between the peak summertime and holiday periods.
“Our shoulder season could be the best shoulder season we have ever had in 2020 and 2021 if people continue to travel and we do not have another round (of COVID-19) that hits us,” Roberts predicted.
“I think we will have a strong fall season as well with travelers wanting things to do right now and looking for road-trip ideas.”
In examining the role of outdoor activities, Roberts cited the fact that RV (recreational vehicle) rentals remain at all-time highs, with rural areas offering camping opportunities and state parks good assets to have at present.
“Campgrounds are doing very well, including Mayberry Campground here in town,” Roberts said.
“People are wanting to reconnect with family and friends more than ever and do outdoor things with them, from hiking, picnicking, canoeing, photography etc. — looking at recreational opportunities and things away from crowds for a while.”
Roberts thinks rural areas such as Surry County are well-positioned to capture new agri-tourism spending through farms, farmers markets, corn mazes and other attractions.
And social aspects also can’t be discounted, she says, with seeing family and friends given as the number one reason to travel now.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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