It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State of North Carolina to actively encourage the expansion of existing environmentally sound North Carolina industry; to actively encourage the recruitment of environmentally sound national and international industry into North Carolina through industrial recruitment efforts and through effective advertising, with an emphasis on high-wage-paying industry; to promote the development of North Carolina’s labor force to meet the State’s growing industrial needs; to promote the growth and development of our travel and tourist industries; to promote the development of our State ports; and to assure throughout State government, the coordination of North Carolina’s economic development efforts. (1977, c. 198, s. 1; 1989, c. 751, s. 7(24); 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 959, s. 46; 2003-340, s. 1.10.)