Public Meeting Will Review Ocracoke Tourism Promotion Study & Discuss Improvement Strategies

Saturday, February 7, 2015 - 01:24

The Hyde County Office of Planning and Economic Development will hold a public meeting Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. in the Ocracoke Community Center to publicly present findings of a research study on Ocracoke's tourism promotion.

The study analyses the current promotion efforts paid through occupancy tax funds and suggests potential plans for improvement. The public is invited to attend. Public comment is specifically sought from people involved with the lodging industry, tourism promotion, and the Ocracoke Civic & Business Association.

Kris Noble, director of the county planning office, made this presentation first to the Hyde County commissioners at the 2/2/15 meeting. She and county public information officer Sarah Johnson, spent several months collecting data about Ocracoke visitors (ferry ridership, sales tax revenues, Occupancy Tax revenues, etc.) and also surveyed nine Ocracoke lodging businesses about the ways they advertise their businesses.

The focus of the study was to determine if Ocracoke and Hyde County should raise the Occupancy Tax (the commissioners are authorized to raise it as much as 2%), which would require that the county organize a Tourism Development Authority.

A complete copy of the study including appendix is available here.

For more information please contact Sarah Johnson (252.542.0842), sarah.johnson@hydecountync.gov