A new report from the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) in North Carolina has revealed the economic impact from its direct tourism activities last year—a record-breaking $1.08 billion. This beats the old record set in 2019 by a whopping $20 million. The report attributes the momentous year to many factors, including substantive year-over-year budget growth due to City of Charlotte support via the American Rescue Plan Act (2021); the CRVA’s paid media investment growing from $4 million in 2022 to $7 million last year; the increasing of its geographic advertising radius to 400 miles; and its recent focus on promoting arts, diversity, and cuisine. The revenue gained from these efforts is ultimately reinvested back into quality-of-life assets for the community—a big win for the Queen City.