RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) – Wake County is celebrating its most successful year for tourism ever, and officials say everyone is benefiting.

The new report shows that the revenue generated saved each Wake County resident about $712 in taxes last year.

The annual report shows that Wake County hosted a record-breaking 18.5 million visitors in 2023 and their spending reached the highest amount ever recorded, pumping more than $3 billion into the economy.

Dennis Edwards, president and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Wake County has recovered from the pandemic better than expected.

“We’ve been through three challenging years,” he said.

Edwards wants to build on that momentum by expanding the Raleigh Convention Center, relocating the Red Hat Amphitheater and renovating the PNC Arena.

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“It will really take us to a new level in terms of the type of events we can host. We will be able to attract even larger conventions, more meetings and larger sporting events,” Edwards said.

Small businesses are reaping the benefits of this development.

321 Coffee just opened its fifth location on NC State’s Centennial campus on Monday.

Co-founder Lindsey Wrege is considering further expansion.

People with disabilities work in the branches.

“We have over 300 people on a waiting list who want to work at 321 Coffee (and we don’t have the capacity for them). Every time we expand and grow and open a new location, that means we can hire more people,” Wrege said. “If we can introduce this model to other companies and open people’s eyes to doing something similar, we can really make great strides toward a more inclusive future.”