CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A newspaper's analysis shows that Charlotte's tourism agency has spent thousands of dollars on lavish gifts for business leaders, local public officials and people in its office.
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority chief Tim Newman told The Charlotte Observer that he has to spend money on potential convention clients to make money for the city.
The newspaper says some of those expenses include $4,600 in tickets to New York Yankees games as well as dinners and alcohol.
The hospitality and tourism industry pumps about $4 billion a year into Mecklenburg and surrounding counties. The money used to promote the city comes from a tax on hotel and motel rooms that generates about $23 million a year and a 1 percent tax on prepared food and beverages in that raises $20 million.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
