Visit Raleigh has published its Tourism Industry Report for Wake County, covering the second quarter of 2025. The report indicates that while travel to the U.S. remains stable but slightly slowing, key performance indicators such as hospitality tax collections and hotel room supply in Raleigh have shown steady growth. Hotel occupancy rates continue to surpass state and national averages.
Hotel lodging tax collections reached nearly $21 million by June 2025, marking a 1.2% increase over the previous year. Prepared food and beverage tax collections rose by 5.6%, totaling $24.1 million through June 2025.
In terms of group business, Visit Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) hosted 97 events during this period, attracting over 200,000 attendees to the area. Despite a decline in hotel occupancy to 67.4%, it still outpaced state and national figures.
Looking ahead, Visit Raleigh and GRSA have secured bookings for 177 future events, which are expected to bring more than 130,000 room-nights to Wake County and generate an estimated economic impact of $87.1 million.
Dennis Edwards, President and CEO of Visit Raleigh, commented on the trends: “Across the country the travel industry has seen a shift in travel patterns this year, but Wake County continues to hold steady and see increases in tourism tax collections.”
The report provides detailed data on hospitality industry performance from January to June 2025. It notes that Wake County’s average daily rate for hotels increased by 3% compared to last year.
During Q2 of 2025, notable events included The Soccer Tournament with over 50,000 attendees and ESL One Raleigh with around 5,000 attendees. Future bookings include GalaxyCon Presents Animate! Raleigh scheduled for January 2026.
For interviews or further information about Visit Raleigh’s activities or the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance’s initiatives, interested parties can contact Jessica Holt at jholt@visitraleigh.com.
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