The beauty of March in Cabarrus County is having your social media feed loaded with pictures of juicy, delicious burgers and rave reviews.
Voting is Open for Cabarrus Burger Madness 2023, and we can see that our community is out taking them all in! We’ve seen posts from die-hard burger fanatics like Garrett Price and social media influencers like the Downtown Dirty. Our own Abby Cagle even shared a video of how easily she got from the parking deck to 2 Gals doorstep and how she and her family scored their burger!
- This unique contest actually came out of the pandemic and is the brainchild of our local Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CCCVB), aka Explore Cabarrus. Their staff saw the devastating impact COVID was having on the restaurant industry in particular and wanted to do something to drive residents to support them. A culinary burger contest was created, and the community loved it…dining at each restaurant and voting for their favorites.
“Cabarrus Burger Madness provided the opportunity to highlight our outstanding local restaurants and chefs while supporting our community,” said Donna Carpenter, Cabarrus County Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO.
🏆 The creative contest is not just popular locally. It has received attention across the state and earned the Gold Award for Leisure Marketing during the 2022 North Carolina Travel Industry Association Tourism Achievement Awards. The CCCVB showcases this program and the many other attractions in Cabarrus County to encourage visitors and residents alike to explore all that our area has to offer.
Photo credit: CCCVB
It’s not surprising that the Cabarrus County CVB came up with such a successful program. After all, they have been recognized both regionally and nationally for their innovative products and programs many times over the years, including their Annual Destination Guide which is a great resource for both visitors and residents.
What many may not realize is that having a community that is attractive to visitors, benefits residents in a number of ways.
✂️ 💰 According to the latest data from Visit North Carolina, Cabarrus County had the sixth-highest visitor spending growth rate in the state in 2021. Visitor spending reached over $480 million and the $36.1 million in state and local taxes generated by visitor spending in 2021 represents a tax savings of $155 for each Cabarrus County resident.
And when you live in a community with thriving attractions, restaurants, shopping, and more, YOU as a resident get to enjoy these things all year long!
CCCVB Encourages Visitors and Residents to “Explore Cabarrus”
You are probably impacted by the work of the CCCVB almost every week as a Cabarrus County resident and it’s likely you don’t even realize it! As the official destination marketing organization for Cabarrus County, they share the stories behind so many of the attractions, restaurants, shops and more that exist here.
- The CCCVB rebranded to “Explore CabarrUS” last year. By highlighting the “US” portion of the county name and incorporating the tagline, “There’s More to Us”, the new branding focuses on the variety of experiences to discover in Cabarrus County.
They also created a beautiful video based on the new theme highlighting Cabarrus County and narrated by Jim Avett.
Power of a Visitor
The Cabarrus County CVB receives its funding from occupancy tax levied by Cabarrus County. When visitors stay in our local hotels, a portion of the room occupancy tax is what makes up their budget.
Tourism helps to sustain local business and provides residents many job opportunities. Along with the data mentioned above, Visit NC also reported that in 2021, travel and tourism directly employed more than 4,065 people and generated payroll of $140.4 million in Cabarrus County in 2021. See the graphic below for a visual representation of the impact.
Photo credit: U.S. Travel Association
To learn more about the Cabarrus County CVB, visit CabCoCVB.com. Be sure to follow Explore Cabarrus on Instagram and Facebook and use ExploreCabarrus.com to plan your next adventure or staycation! And of course, dine and vote until March 31st during Cabarrus Burger Madness.
Planning to visit? Tell ’em Cabarrus Weekly sent ya!
