Following a record-breaking increase of 15% in 2022, spending statewide rose 6.9% to $35.6 billion in 2023, setting another record year in visitor spending, according to data the North Carolina Department of Commerce released Tuesday.
Outer Banks
Coastal Resource Commission to review rules analyses
The Coastal Resources Commission on Tuesday will consider the fiscal analyses associated with rules the board approved earlier this year.
‘Unimaginable’: Herd manager mourns horse hit by driver
Meg Puckett of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund said the recent death of Bullwinkle, a 10-year-old stallion struck on the beach by the driver of a side-by-side utility vehicle, affects the future of the herd.
Resident’s fight leads to balloon bans on 80 miles of beach
Debbie Swick of Southern Shores, who’s passionate about marine life, led an effort that has made it illegal to release balloons from Duck to Hatteras Village.
Coastal locals love these 10 seafood restaurants; here’s why
Residents understand that seafood is a big part of coastal culture, and visitors who’ve sampled these restaurants know they don’t just serve tasty food, they also forge connections that keep diners coming back.
Ocracoke visitors share their success in dimming the lights
Kaye and Rick Kohler, longtime Ocracoke vacationers, shared during their recent stay how artificial light harms people and wildlife and how they helped their community park back home in Virginia get certified as a Dark Skies Park.
Outer Banks Community Foundation awards scholarships
The Outer Banks Community Foundation announced Friday that it had awarded $241,800 in scholarships this year to help Outer Banks students achieve their educational dreams.
Dare towns drop lawsuit over state housing
With Dare County mandated to return $35 million in housing funds to the state, its six towns have voluntarily dismissed the suit filed in October contesting conditions attached to the money.
Behind NC coast’s range lights, buoy depots, gas works
This collection of photographs captures what historian David Cecelski calls “a rare view of the behind-the-scenes work that was necessary to maintain a functional system of navigational aids on the North Carolina coast.”
2 Outer Banks sites celebrate 50 years as national landmarks
Nags Head Woods Preserve and Jockey’s Ridge State Park are among the six North Carolina sites celebrating in 2024 50 years of National Natural Landmarks designation.
Researchers shed light on Native Tribes’ English encounter
A two-day program in Manteo last week brought together researchers who study the Indigenous people of the late 16th century in what is now northeastern North Carolina and their short-lived relationship with colonists.
Public beach safety focus of June 27 hybrid meeting
A diverse group of emergency managers, social and physical scientists, first responders and other public safety representatives and media representatives have been invited to discuss public safety and to collaborate on future strategies.
Rodanthe house 6th in 4 years to collapse into Atlantic
The unoccupied structure on Hatteras Island likely collapsed around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, said Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials, who are asking for volunteers to help remove debris Wednesday.
NC Maritime Museums have full month of programs ahead
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, N.C., Maritime Museum at Beaufort and the N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport have programs planned for all ages in June.
Pipe, liquids removed from contaminated Buxton Beach site
An Army Corps of Engineers contractor has extracted more than 70 feet of pipe and fluids at the former Navy base here, but soil sampling to determine next steps in the cleanup is still pending.
‘People’s museum’: Hatteras Islanders welcome reopening
After decades of work to establish a maritime museum in Hatteras, villagers were there to celebrate the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum reopening Monday with a new exhibit gallery awash in centuries of dramatic maritime history.
