Archived Arts & Entertainment

State Tourism Office expects economic boost from ‘Hunger Games’ fans

North Carolina is poised to reap major dividends from tourism with the March 23 opening of “The Hunger Games,” the highest-profile movie ever made in the state.

Shot on locations and sets from Concord to Barnardsville, the movie is based on the opening novel in a wildly popular futuristic trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The North Carolina Tourism Office sees the same potential for “The Hunger Games.”

“The filmmakers spent more than $60 million in North Carolina, and now fans are eager to come see the locations and go to the restaurants, neighborhoods and other places the stars visited,” said Keith Crisco, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. “The money they spend here will be a second payoff for taxpayers.”

Newly developed travel tools, accessed at VisitNC.com will guide visitors to film sites, star hangouts, and places that connect with the characters and other elements of the novel.

The official audit is underway to determine what the filmmakers spent in North Carolina on wages and compensation, goods and services, living expenses and other costs that qualify under the incentive program. The figure will exceed $60 million.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.