There are nine official Welcome Centers in North Carolina, all positioned along interstate corridors near the borders of neighboring states. But how many of us who live in North Carolina have made a stop as we make our way home from a roadtrip?
Brian Fletcher, manager of the I-85 North Welcome Center in Norlina, said anyone who stops by tomorrow – Thursday – between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is going to be in for a treat.
“We’re gonna have a party out there tomorrow,” Fletcher said, to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, observed May 19-25.
Travelers who take a break at the combination rest stop and welcome center can enjoy tasty treats like watermelon, courtesy of the Watermelon Association, and barbecue from Skipper’s. There also will be additional resources available, all to help those traveling to – and through – the state.
Fletcher said the NCDOT operates and maintains the state’s rest areas, but the Welcome Centers are under the N.C. Department of Commerce. And he said welcome center employees are the state’s ambassadors to the traveling public.
Apparently, the state is becoming more and more attractive to the traveling public. In fact, Gov. Roy Cooper said North Carolina is ranked fifth in the U.S. as a domestic travel destination. In 2023, the North Carolina tourism economy totaled $35.6 billion for trips to and within the state, topping the record set just a year earlier by more than $2 billion.
Fletcher said the welcome centers are staffed with certified travel counselors who provide information about nearby attractions and upcoming events.
Visitors spend more than $97 million per day in North Carolina, which, in turn, funnels $7.1 million per day to state and local tax revenues – about $3.7 million in state taxes and $3.4 million in local taxes.
Having a welcome center to provide services for visitors is just one way to encourage people to get off the interstate and enjoy small towns like Henderson – “to encourage tourism spending in the state,” Fletcher said.
From a big weekend extravaganza like Show, Shine, Shag and Dine to a quaint little antiques shop or a downtown boutique, Fletcher said there’s a wealth of information at the welcome center.
“We represent the whole state,” he added, so the travel counselors don’t recommend one restaurant over another, but give folks several options to choose from.
Fun facts about the I-85 North Welcome Center: it was the state’s first welcome center, built in 1968. And the “north” in the name comes from its geographical location: it’s actually located on I-85 South, designed to welcome folks traveling INTO the state.
Have a question? Call 1.800.VISITNC or search online at www.visitnc.com. And the direct number to Fletcher’s center is 252.456.3236.
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