Forget France. The Paris of the Midwest continued to grow as a destination for tourists in 2024.
A new report from Destination Cleveland says 18.6 million business and leisure visitors came to Northeast Ohio in 2024. About 58% of tourists were day visitors, while 42% stayed overnight. A 1.5% increase in visitors mimics the state of Ohio's visitor growth.
Visitors to Cuyahoga County directly spent $6.9 billion in 2024, up 4% year over year. The total economic impact was $11.4 billion. Visitor activity contributed $1.6 billion in tax revenue, which saved Cuyahoga County households $1,460 tax each, according to the report. In the last decade, Cuyahoga County has seen tourism's economic impact grow by nearly 40%.
In 2024, tourism supported about 70,200 local jobs, including 20,000 in the food and beverage industry. These workers took home $3.8 billion, a 3.8% increase over 2023. One out of every 14 jobs in Cuyahoga County is in the tourism sector.
Much of the increase in spending came from the business community embracing Cleveland as a place for meetings and conventions. Business visitations grew by 7% year over year. More than 300 meetings and conventions brought about 208,000 people to Cleveland, resulting in a $200 million boost to the local economy.
“Travel and tourism is a powerful growth engine for Cleveland, driving billions of dollars in local impact and supporting tens of thousands of jobs and families," David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland. "Year after year, more travelers are choosing Cleveland, which reflects the region’s growing reputation as a must-visit destination."
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