In the Groove

Charlotte hums with urban amenities and outdoor beauty.

- HOLLY RIDDLE

Ask most Charlotte locals their histories and you’ll notice a common trend: Charlotte is a city of transplants. The fifth fastest-growing U.S. city in terms of population, with 2.6 million residents living in the Charlotte area, people flock to the Queen City. Many now-locals were once visitors who saw something they liked and decided to stick around. Some found themselves in Charlotte as a matter of business, brought along when a company from elsewhere set up shop in Charlotte’s skyscraper-laden Uptown.

The trend isn’t slowing. Businesses and employees alike are finding homes in Charlotte.

“[The] people that want to live here are the same people that companies are looking to hire …” said Tom Murray, chief executive officer, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “When companies make decisions to relocate headquarters, they want to see a vibrant, active urban core. They want a place where their younger employees will want to travel, [and] we see the tourism industry playing a really vital role in economic development.”

For Murray and his team at the CRVA, Charlotte’s tourism and economic success go hand in hand … and not just because one in nine locals work in the tourism or hospitality industry. In Charlotte, business attracts travelers and vice versa.