Fayetteville Tourism Economy: 2025 Visitor Spending and Jobs

Tourism is one of the most measurable parts of the Fayetteville economy. Every year, Visit North Carolina publishes county-level estimates prepared by the research firm Tourism Economics, and the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (which markets the region as DistiNCtly Fayetteville) uses them to report the industry's impact. This guide explains the latest numbers, released in August 2026 for calendar year 2025, and what drives them.

How much do visitors spend in Cumberland County?

Measure	2025	2024 (reported a year earlier)
Visitor spending	$682.60 million	$698 million
Tourism jobs	4,786	nearly 4,800
Tourism payroll	$176.59 million	$176.49 million
State and local tax revenue	$46.47 million	$47.32 million
Tax savings per resident	$136.39	$140.03

Visit North Carolina's table shows Cumberland County spending down 2.2% from 2024. The county accounted for 1.8% of all visitor spending in North Carolina and 2.1% of the state's tourism jobs.

For context, statewide visitor spending rose 1.3% in 2025 to a record $37.2 billion, and spending grew in 59 of the state's 100 counties. Cumberland was one of the counties that slipped.

Where does the money go?

The Visit NC study splits 2025 spending in Cumberland County by category:

Category	2025 spending
Food and beverage	$241.41 million
Transportation	$174.84 million
Lodging	$128.47 million
Recreation	$84.42 million
Retail	$53.47 million
Total	$682.60 million

Food and beverage is the largest share, which matches how people visit Fayetteville: reunions, graduations and weekend trips built around meals out. Transportation is large because so many visitors drive in on I-95 or fly into Fayetteville Regional Airport and rent cars.

The $46.47 million in tax revenue splits into $26.50 million in state taxes and $19.97 million in local taxes. The visitors bureau itself is funded by the county's room occupancy tax, which hotel guests pay.

What brings visitors to Fayetteville?

Military connections. Families come for Fort Bragg graduations, homecomings, change-of-command ceremonies and visits with soldiers. Veterans return for unit reunions. The Airborne & Special Operations Museum and North Carolina Veterans Park are anchors for these trips.

I-95 overnight stays. Fayetteville sits roughly halfway between New York and Florida, so hotels near I-95 and US 301 fill with road-trippers. See the Fayetteville hotels guide for where travelers stay.

Sports and events. Minor league baseball at Segra Stadium, youth tournaments, concerts at the Crown Complex and festivals such as the Dogwood Festival and the International Folk Festival bring regional crowds. The events calendar and the Woodpeckers and Segra Stadium guide list dates.

History and the outdoors. The Market House, the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex and the Cape Fear River Trail draw history and outdoor visitors. The things to do guide collects the top attractions.

How has visitor spending changed over time?

Using the figures released each year by Visit North Carolina and reported by the visitors bureau and local press:

Year	Visitor spending in Cumberland County
2022	$666.7 million
2023	$697 million
2024	$698 million
2025	$682.60 million

The 2022 figure was a 9.5% increase over 2021, as travel recovered from the pandemic. Spending then leveled off near $700 million before the 2025 dip. Each year's study can revise earlier estimates, so treat the older figures as a guide to direction rather than exact year-over-year math.

Why did spending dip in 2025?

The Visit NC study reports totals, not causes, so any explanation is partly judgment. Factors worth watching include changes in Fort Bragg training and deployment schedules, which affect family visits; hotel rates and occupancy along I-95; and the timing of large events from year to year. The county's 2025 figure was still close to the 2023 and 2024 levels, so the dip was modest rather than a sharp drop.

Why tourism matters to residents

• Jobs. Nearly 4,800 local jobs depend on visitor spending, mostly in restaurants, hotels, attractions and retail. Many are entry-level positions that also suit students and military family members.
• Taxes. Visitor spending generated $136.39 in state and local tax revenue per county resident in 2025. Without it, that revenue would have to come from other sources.
• Amenities. Restaurants, events and attractions that visitors support are also what residents enjoy on weekends.

Using these numbers

If you run a business, the category split shows where visitor dollars land: restaurants and gas stations see the most, followed by hotels. Peak periods line up with Fort Bragg graduation and homecoming schedules, summer travel on I-95 and big weekends such as the Dogwood Festival. If you are researching the market for a hotel, restaurant or event, compare the county figures with the statewide table to see how Cumberland stacks up against nearby counties such as Moore and Harnett.

Tourism is one piece of a larger economy that rests on Fort Bragg, health care and education. The Fayetteville economy overview puts these numbers alongside jobs, wages and unemployment, and the visitor guide is the place to start if you are planning a trip.

Sources

• Visit NC: 2025 visitor spending by county (PDF)
• Fayetteville Area CVB: Tourism generates $682.60 million of economic impact on Cumberland County (Aug. 18, 2026)
• DistiNCtly Fayetteville: 2024/2025 annual report (Sept. 30, 2025)
• Fayetteville Area CVB: Visitor spending increases in Cumberland County for 2023
• BizFayetteville: Cumberland County tourism drives $667 million in 2022
• Visit NC: 2025 county-level spending news release
• NC Commerce: 2025 NC tourism spending release (Aug. 13, 2026)

Details checked October 2026.