Hospitality Tax Collections and Hotel Room Supply Climb

Raleigh, N.C. (Aug. 12, 2025) – Visit Raleigh has released the Wake County Tourism Industry Report for the second quarter of 2025. As travel to the U.S. remains stable but slightly slowing, most of Raleigh’s key performance indicators (KPIs), including hospitality tax collections and hotel room supply, have seen steady growth. Hotel occupancy also continues to outpace the state and national averages.

Highlights:
Continued Growth for Tax Collections

• Hotel lodging tax collections totaled nearly $21 million through June 2025, up 1.2% over 2024.
• Prepared food and beverage tax collections totaled $24.1 million through June 2025, up 5.6% over 2024.

Group Business Overview

• Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) hosted 97 events, tournaments, conferences and groups in the second quarter of 2025, welcoming more than 200,000 attendees to the area.
• Through the end of June, hotel occupancy declined to 67.4% yet still outpaced the state and national averages.

Future Business/Tourism Outlook

• Through June 2025, Visit Raleigh and GRSA booked 177 events for future dates, bringing more than 130,000 room-nights of future business to Wake County and generating a projected $87.1 million in economic impact.

“Across the country the travel industry has seen a shift in travel patterns this year, but Wake County continues to hold steady and see increases in tourism tax collections,” said Dennis Edwards, President and CEO of Visit Raleigh. “The rise in hospitality tax collections reflects the strength of our destination and commitment to hosting meetings, conventions, sporting events, festivals and unique leisure experiences. Tourism continues to be a powerful economic driver, fueling growth and enhancing quality of life across our region.”

Below is a full breakdown of the tourism and hospitality industry performance throughout Wake County in the second quarter of 2025.

Wake County hospitality industry KPIs – according to the Smith Travel Research:
(January 1 – June 30, 2025)

Wake County hotels’ average daily rate has increased by 3% over the first half of 2025. The County’s occupancy rate continues to outpace that of the state and national averages, despite a 4.7% decrease compared to this time last year.

Hospitality Industry Tax Collections in Q2 2025:
Wake County saw consistent increases in hospitality industry tax collections in the second quarter of 2025. Hotel lodging tax collections totaled nearly $21 million, a 1.2% increase over 2024. Prepared food and beverage tax collections totaled $24.1 million, a 5.6% increase over the first half of 2024.

Events Hosted in Q2 2025:
During the second quarter of 2025, Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) together hosted 97 conventions, sporting events and groups and welcomed more than 200,000 attendees to Raleigh, N.C. The second quarter of 2025 was highlighted by key conventions, meetings and sporting events impacting overnight visitation including:

• The Soccer Tournament (TST): more than 50,000 attendees
• ESL One Raleigh: 5,000 attendees
• Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Raleigh Major: 10,000 attendees
• Lenovo North America Kickoff Meeting: 2,000 attendees
• Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) Scientific Assembly: 2,000 attendees

New Business Booked in Q2 2025:
The second quarter of 2025 produced notable bookings for future conventions, sporting events and groups in Wake County as Visit Raleigh and GRSA combined booked 62 groups totaling over 44,000 room-nights of future business. Visit Raleigh and GRSA’s collective future bookings from this quarter will create a direct economic impact of $29 million.

Future meetings, conventions and sporting events booked during the second quarter include:

• GalaxyCon Presents Animate! Raleigh: Jan. 2-4, 2026; 12,500 attendees
• North Carolina Association of Public Charter Schools Annual Conference: July 19-21, 2026; 850 attendees

Interviews with a Visit Raleigh spokesperson can be arranged via phone, video conference or in person. To arrange an interview, please contact the Director of Public Relations and International Tourism Jessica Holt, at jholt@visitraleigh.com.

About the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh):
As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, Visit Raleigh is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the industry and community's economic position and provides opportunities for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes 18.5 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.2 billion. The visitor economy supports nearly 26,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $307 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $712 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com

About the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA):
A division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) – the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) markets and promotes Raleigh and all of Wake County to generate and/or retain sports-related businesses (tournaments, championships, special events and meetings) for economic development. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes 18.5 million visitors annually, whose spending tops $3.2 billion. The visitor economy supports nearly 26,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $307 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $712 in taxes annually. raleighsports.org

Media Contact:
Jessica Holt
Director of Public Relations and International Tourism
919.645.2654
jholt@visitraleigh.com

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