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Rebecca Billette
Courtesy of Boone Chamber of Commerce - This data was collected from a sample size of cell phone users who "opt-in" to sharing their location.
Seasonal Tourism
Seasonal Tourism
For Watauga County, tourism is an essential part of the economy. From leaf-peepers in the fall to skiers in the winter, Boone and the surrounding areas experience a strong flow of tourists year-round. Some months, though, provide more traffic than others.
The chart on the left shows the most recent data for annual tourism, reflecting the peak in July tourism and the trough in March and April’s.
In 2024, there were an estimated 900,000 trips to Watauga County, a slight dip from 2023’s estimated 1 million. 2023’s data is shown to the right:
2023 Average Duration of Trips, Courtesy of Boone Chamber of Commerce
2024 Average Duration of Trips, Courtesy of Boone Chamber of Commerce
Courtesy of Boone Chamber of Commerce
According to the Boone Chamber of Commerce, this data stays more consistent with Watauga County’s typical trends: high points in July and October with slower traffic in March and April.
2024’s data is a bit of an anomaly because of the impacts of Hurricane Helene in October, which is usually a prime season for tourists looking at the leaves. The duration of the 2023 and 2024 trips are shown on the left.
The Boone Chamber of Commerce monetizes this tourism and uses the funds to promote more traffic to our beautiful county. Hope Thingelstad, the Director of Partnerships & Outreach at the Watauga County TDA, said “As the TDA for the town of Boone and the unincorporated district of Watauga County, we utilize the 6% occupancy tax on hotel bookings and short-term rentals in those districts. We then use those tourist dollars to market the area as a destination and develop more tourism assets, such as trails and river accesses.”
Watauga County’s seasonal tourism is a huge element of the economy, supporting local businesses in the summer months and the three ski mountains in the winter. Every month has something unique to offer to tourists.
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