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Visit North Carolina Budget Overview
| Marketing Media Purchase & Production | $6,851,199 |
| Personnel & Administration | $1,243,774 |
| Rent, Facilities and Computers (tech and licensing) | $130,066 |
| VisitNC.com Dev. & Maintenance (Interactive) | $855,000 |
| International Marketing (Canada, Germany, UK) | $1,015,885 |
| Film Office Marketing | $221,393 |
| Public Relations | $427,220 |
| Domestic Sales Promotion (Group and Sports) | $145,422 |
| Retire NC and Industry Relations | $74,289 |
| Research | $457,235 |
| Total | $11,421,483 |
North Carolina Visitor Services Budget Overview
The Visitor Services function remains part of the North Carolina Department of Commerce and was funded by appropriations from the General Assembly. Visitor Services, comprised of the State’s nine Welcome Centers, the Tourism Call Center and the Tourism Warehouse, is staffed by about 48 FTEs annually. The Call Center operates in partnership with the NC Departments of Public Safety, Transportation, and Agriculture and Consumer Services. Appropriations included:
| Welcome Centers | $2,454,655 |
| Inquiry/Fulfillment | 355,951 |
| Total | $2,810,606 |
State Tourism Office Budgets: 2019-20
North Carolina’s budget of approximately $11.4 million ranked among the lowest among southern state tourism office budgets in 2019-20, significantly behind several states that are direct competitors. North Carolina’s budget decreased by 8% from the previous fiscal year.
| State | Projected 2019-20 Budget | Number of FTE Staff |
| South Carolina | $30,900,000 | 14 |
| Louisiana | $30,500,000 | 25 |
| Virginia | $25,900,000 | 60 |
| Alabama | $22,500,000 | 23 |
| Tennessee | $21,300,000 | 27 |
| Arkansas | $18,900,000 | 23 |
| Kentucky | $13,800,000 | 14 |
| North Carolina | $11,400,000 | 13 |
| Georgia | $9,300,000 | 23 |
*Budgets and staffing are estimates provided by State Tourism Directors to Travel South USA and do not include Welcome Center staff.