PITT COUNTY'S VISITOR APPEAL RISES.

• Position: SPONSORED SECTION: REGIONAL REPORT: PITT COUNTY

Visitors are increasingly drawn to Pitt County, statistics released earlier this year show.

According to Visit North Carolina, domestic visitors to and within Pitt County spent $246.7 million in 2017, an increase of 6.6% from 2016. That's a strong showing. Pitt's increase was the fourth-largest in the state.

"I am both excited and pleased at the rapid growth of economic impact generated by tourism dollars in Greenville and Pitt County," says Andrew Schmidt, executive director of the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "These numbers validate our message that Greenville-Pitt County is an emerging destination that continues to attract more visitors to enjoy our growing hospitality infrastructure and meeting, and athletic facilities."

Pitt County's growth was part of an overall increase in visitors and spending in the state in 2017. The $24 billion in total spending represented an increase of 4.2% from 2016.

"All eight economic development regions of the state had spending growth of 3% or more, and 90% of the state's counties saw direct tourism employment growth from 2016 to 2017," says Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina.

Schmidt told Business North Carolina this summer that the growth of Vidant Medical Center and East Carolina University, along with the presence of major corporate offices such as the Americas headquarters for Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, have contributed to the region's...