Abstract:
Tourism is North Carolina's second largest industry. In 2004, forty-nine million people visited the state and spent $13.2 billion. To attract the 87 percent of tourists who travel to the state by car, truck, or RV, regional agencies, together with local and state agencies, have developed themed driving trails that crisscross the state. Trails deal with natural resources, historic sites, arts and crafts, music, food, wine, gardens, and motorsports. The driving trails take travelers to more than seventy destinations, some far off the usual tourist destinations, like Rose Hill and Bear Creek.