New Hanover County’s travel economy continues to thrive, with visitor spending up several million dollars over the previous year, according to state data. What’s more, local travel officials also released numbers that confirm the industry’s growing impact, in light of the approaching high travel season.   An economic impact study by Visit North Car ...

A former U.S. Coast Guard light station that was turned into an ocean bed and breakfast six years ago is no longer up for auction. But the auction process that he started May 3 led current owner Richard Neal, who bought the tower in 2010 for $85,000, to a decision.  "My understanding from the people that have contacted me for the auction is that individuall ...

New Hanover County's tourism industry is growing and the numbers show it. The amount collected during the first year of room occupancy tax collection in New Hanover County, 1986, was a little over $550,000. Recent totals show how much the industry has grown, with more than $12 million collected last year.  The figures were presented by Kim Huf ...

The Staybridge Suites in Wilmington recently changed hands for more than $13 million and is set to be renovated in the near future. Hunter Hotel Advisors represented TriGate Capital, based in Dallas, and Beacon Investment Management Group in the sale of the 92-room hotel Staybridge Suites at 5010 New Centre Drive in Wilmington, according to a news release from the Atlan ...

Demand for Wilmington-area restaurant and hotel workers is rising and the supply is starting to struggle to keep up.   As new hotels open and the number of local restaurants continue to grow – currently there are 541 Trip Advisor-reviewed restaurants alone in Wilmington – some establishments are finding themselves concerned about being short-staffed. &n ...

The Frying Pan Tower, a former U.S. Coast Guard light station turned ocean bed and breakfast, is up for auction. The auction for the tower, which is about 25 miles southeast of Bald Head Island, began Thursday with a starting bid of $10,000, bid increments of $3,000 and a $5,000 deposit required. The tower is only accessible by boat or helicopter. "It's ...

Sotherly Hotels Inc. has completed its $10 million renovation of Hotel Ballast, formerly the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, at 301 N. Water St. in downtown Wilmington. The company is celebrating a grand unveiling this week of the landmark property's refreshed interior and exterior and rebranding, which were announced last year. “We are excited to complete thi ...

Fort Fisher State Historic Site took bronze in a recent survey of most-visited North Carolina attractions, but another label gives it the gold. With 871,676 visitors in 2017, the tourist destination is No. 1 when it comes to the state’s historic sites, according to N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources officials. Drawing nearly 42,000 more visitors las ...

Officials with the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher said it hosted 484,118 visitors in 2017, a number originally underreported in a survey of the state’s most-visited attractions by Carolina Publishing and Associates. What’s more, the accurate number marks the Kure Beach attraction’s highest attendance in 41 years. As for the recent annual survey, half of ...

It’s no secret now that craft beer is big business. And as the number of local breweries continues to grow, they’re impacting the area economy in more ways than one. From eight breweries opening since 2014 to today’s 15 breweries in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties, there’s no sign of slowing. In fact, five more breweries are slated to ...