Posted in North Carolina April 03, 2016 by

11 Surefire Ways To Spot A Tourist In North Carolina

North Carolina is not shy to tourists and tourism, it’s a large part of a our state’s income, with a record of $20.2 billion per year. The summer and fall is brimming with out of town faces who love the beauty of North Carolina. But sometimes it can be less than easy to spot the tourists, and sometimes they just stick out like a sore thumb…here are ways to know.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
1. They take pictures in front of the Krispy Kreme, especially the one in Winston.
Flickr / Mark Chang
"Is this the original?"
2. And the Bojangles.
Flickr / Manicosity
I'd take a picture in front of Bojangles.
3. They ask you questions like, 'Where is the best place to get BBQ?" Then look confused when you respond, "Which style?"
Flickr / Andrew Yee
And then you school them on NC BBQ.
4. They don't know if they should call downtown Charlotte, downtown, or uptown.
Flickr / James Willamor
I lived there for four years and still couldn't figure it out (you eventually just surrender and say uptown).
5. Out of state license plates adorning the Blue Ridge Parkway in fall is kind of a given.
Flickr / Matthew Paulson
Well call them, 'leafers.' But hey....we've all been leafers at one point or other.
6. They're just a little less relaxed than everyone else at the beach.
Flickr / Joshua Hardesty
It's ok, your kids can go in the water.
7. They don't have their cameras out in Asheville to take pictures of the scenery, mainly the 'weird people,' and/or 'hippies.'
Flickr / Clark Mackey
Or they're trying to dress to 'fit in.' I'm really not sure which one is worse.
8. If they're seasoned tourists, they will start telling YOU where you need to go visit in North Carolina.
Flickr / mystuart
A little advice is never a bad thing, and I've discovered some cool places just from chatting with tourists...but this happened to me on an airplane once and I heard about Biltmore Estate for two hours (bless his heart).
9. They dote on your southern accent.
Flickr / D.Fajo
Yes, y'all, we really do say y'all, y'all heard?
10. Their retirement plans almost always include settling down in North Carolina.
Flickr / John Dyer
Can you really blame them?
11. But sometimes they just blend right in...
Flickr / Bryan Elkus
Maybe they've been vacationing here for decades, these are the best kinds of tourist to meet. They have a deep love and appreciation for our beautiful state...and it's fun to share places to visit and adventures to be had with them. Sometimes it seems as if they know more about our state than we do!

There’s nothing wrong with tourists in North Carolina, and if you’re a transplant or have moved from city to city in North Carolina, we’ve all been somewhat tourists ourselves in this beautiful state. What is your experience with encountering tourists in North Carolina, and what are your feelings on it? Any points you would add to the list?