North Carolina's Outer Banks Braces for Uncertain 2025 Tourism Season

The Outer Banks of North Carolina, a popular beach destination, may see a decline in tourism this year, with lodging being the most affected. Rental property signs are ubiquitous in the area, but according to local business owners and tourism officials, the industry is bracing for an uncertain 2025 season.

“People are concerned, they're worried. They're worried about money this year. I've seen it, I've heard it," said Linda Sabadic, general manager of the Outer Banks Motor Lodge.

Sabadic has worked at the Outer Banks Motor Lodge for over a decade and noted that while their reservations aren't down due to repeat guests, people are planning shorter stays.

“We are noticing that the reservations are maybe shorter. Instead of staying 10 days, they're going to stay six, seven days," said Sabadic.

Lee Nettles, executive director for the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, explained that the tourism economy is heavily reliant on summer months, which could be impacted by economic concerns.

“Our tourism economy is $2.15 billion annually, and summer makes up about 70% of that in terms of the lodging collections," said Nettles.

According to Nettles, the expected drop in collections could be around 5%, with some uncertainty due to tariffs.

“We're looking at probably off by about 5% in terms of collections. There's definitely some economic concerns out there, the pressure of tariffs, so there's some uncertainty," said Nettles.

The hope is that the prime summer months will help cushion any potential drop in tourism. Sabadic remains cautiously optimistic.

“I'm not worried yet, but I'm not saying this is going to be a boom year. I would not be surprised if we see a dip this year over the course of all the properties in the area,” said Sabadic.