RALEIGH – Throughout Wake County, more than 28,000 hospitality and tourism jobs previously supported entirely by visitation and related visitor spending were put into permanent jeopardy by the impacts from COVID-19 spread.
“2020 unemployment figures in the area have been staggering at great costs to the livelihoods of area workers and their families who depend on the local tourism economy and its daily arrivals,” the report from the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau says.
Yet, despite these positive trends, Edwards addressed potential challenges for the industries during a Q&A period with Commissioners, noting that at one point in 2020, 66 percent of people in the hospitality and leisure industry were either furloughed or laid off. “What companies are finding is that many of the people they were hoping to rehire have found other jobs,” he added.