CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina beaches seeing a surge of visitors.
Let's connect the dots.
Tourism was one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic. But data shows it made a big comeback in 2021.
In Dare County, which makes up the southern half of the Outer Banks, visitor spending is up by 30%.
The county is also seeing a spike in the number of new workers, with 12,000 people joining the tourism industry.
It's not just the Outer Banks, Wilmington also seeing a huge increase in the number of tourists.
But the economic boom for the Carolina coast hasn't come easy.
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Labor shortages are forcing ferries to scale back service in Hatteras and Ocracoke.
Plus, gas prices over the summer were at their highest levels in years.
But that didn't stop travelers. It's estimated more than 12 million people will visit the North Carolina coast this year.
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