An Index of North Carolina Travel and Tourism

Monthly gross retail sales by hotels and motels in North Carolina are adjusted using the Consumer Price Index for urban areas. The monthly price-adjusted sales are then com-pared to the average level of sales for 1975. Seasonal adjustment is made using the X-11 seasonal adjustment program developed by the Department of Commerce. Correlation of the travel index with other seasonally adjusted measures of tourist activity is high. The travel index-a single number which represents the changing level of activity related to travel and tourism within a state-is a concept with great appeal because of its simplici-ty. An overall index not only expresses the trend in state travel activity but also provides a yardstick against which to measure the level of activity in individual, travel-related sectors or enterprises. Formulation of a travel index has received considerable attention. At the national level, the U.S. Travel Data Center annually estimates travel and tourist spending for all state