Visitor Volume and Spending Continue to Grow,
Reaching $10.3 Billion in Revenue and
37.4 Million Domestic Visitors
DENVER, July 15,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today VISIT DENVER, the City of
Denver's official tourism sales and marketing agency,
announced that in 2023 Denver welcomed a record 37.4 million
domestic visitors, a 3% increase over the previous record set in
2022. This record number of visitors also spent more money in
Denver than ever before,
generating $10.3 billion in tourism
revenue, outpacing last year's record amount of $9.4 billion by almost 10%.
![(PRNewsfoto/VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau) (PRNewsfoto/VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1817061/Visit_Denver___The_Mile_High_City_Logo.jpg)
"Tourism is vital to the Denver
economy and we are pleased to see our momentum continue in 2023,
especially after the dramatic growth we saw in 2022," said
Richard W. Scharf, President and CEO
of VISIT DENVER. "Denver's tourism businesses, most of which are
small and locally owned, rely on these visitors to fuel their
success, which allows them to continue to hire employees – almost
66,000 across the metro area in 2023 – and to generate millions in
state and local taxes." (Employment figures source: Dean Runyan
Associates 2023 Economic Impact of Travel Study)
Overnight visitors totaled 20.5 million, a 3% rise from 2022,
generating $8.8 billion in spending,
a 10% increase over the prior year. Overnight leisure visitors led
growth, rising by 5% over the prior year to a new high of 17.5
million.
Longwoods International provided the Denver visitor data through their annual
visitor profile study, which they have conducted for Denver since 1994. Top tourism destinations
from around the country and world rely on Longwoods' research and
peer-reviewed methodology to provide standardized visitor tracking
tools.
"The 2023 study shows that travel trends both in terms of
visitor numbers and spending are returning to levels more in line
with 2019," said Amir Eylon,
President and CEO of Longwoods International. "When looked at in
relation to other destinations, Denver enjoyed comparably higher growth
suggesting that it benefits from its unique position offering
visitors both sought-after urban experiences and easy access to
outdoor activities."
The study confirmed that Denver
is a year-round destination with overnight visitation spread evenly
throughout the year, with a modest surge in the warmer months.
Denver saw 23% of visitors in Q1,
25% in Q2, 28% in Q3 and 24% in Q4.
The data further showed how crucial Denver International Airport and its air
service is for continued strong Denver tourism trends. In 2023, 40% of
overnight Denver visitors arrived
by plane, nearly twice the national average of 24%. The airport as
well as VISIT DENVER's partners at
the Colorado Tourism Office are key to Denver's position as both a destination and a
gateway to the rest of the state with overnight Denver visitors spending an average of 1.3
nights, or 32% of their trip, in other parts of the Centennial
State.
Key Data from 2023
- Denver welcomed 37.4 million
total visitors in 2023, including 20.5 million overnight visitors
and 16 million day visitors.
- Overnight leisure visitors totaled 17.5 million in 2023, a 5%
increase over 2022.
- Denver visitors spent
$10.3 billion in 2023, including
$8.8 billion from overnight visitors
and an additional $1.6 billion in
spending from day visitors. Total spending increased by almost 10%
over 2022.
- Expenditures by overnight visitors averaged $427 per person per trip with year-over-year
increases in each tracked category:
- Transportation spending within the destination reached nearly
$3 billion, a 10.7% increase from
2022.
- Lodging spending hit $2.5
billion, up 9.1%.
- Restaurant Food and Beverage spend reached nearly $1.5 billion, a 9.7% increase.
- Retail Purchases totaled just over $1
billion, achieving a 7.8% increase.
- Recreation, Sightseeing and Entertainment totaled $749 million, a 9.3% increase.
The top four states originating overnight trips to Denver in 2023, outside of Colorado itself, were:
- California
- Texas
- Kansas
- Florida
The top five cities from outside of Colorado sending overnight visitors to
Denver in 2023 were:
- Los Angeles
- Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM
- New York City
- Dallas-Ft. Worth
- Houston
*All are VISIT DENVER advertising markets
The top-visited attractions for Denver visitors include a wide range of draws
throughout the area.
Shopping & Entertainment:
Cherry Creek
area (Shopping Center & neighborhood)
16th Street Mall
"LoDo" Lower
Downtown Historic District
Denver
Pavilions
Colorado Mills
Arts & Performing Arts:
Red Rocks Park
& Amphitheatre
Arts district/art gallery neighborhood
Denver
Performing Arts Complex
Paid Museums & Attractions:
Denver Zoo
Children's Museum of Denver
Downtown
Aquarium
Colorado State
Capitol
Denver Botanic
Gardens
Denver Museum of Nature &
Science/Infinity Theater
Coors
Brewery
Meow Wolf
Denver Art
Museum
Sports Events & Activities:
Denver Broncos football
Colorado Rockies
baseball
Denver Nuggets
basketball
Colorado Mammoth
lacrosse
Colorado Avalanche hockey
All data is from the Longwoods International 2023 Annual Visitor
Profile Study unless otherwise noted.
About VISIT DENVER, The
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating 115 years
of promoting The Mile High
City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade
association that contracts with the City
of Denver to market Denver
as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic
development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes.
Denver welcomed more than 37.4
million visitors in 2023, generating $10.3
billion in spending, while supporting tens of thousands of
jobs and making Tourism one of the city's largest industries. Learn
more about Denver at VISIT
DENVER or
Tourism Pays Denver. Follow Denver's social media channels for
up-to-the-minute updates on
Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, YouTube and
LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
Taylor
Shields, Director of PR &
Communications
Caroline Campbell, PR & Communications
Manager
Natalie St.Hilaire, PR &
Communications Coordinator
press@visitdenver.com
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SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The
Convention & Visitors Bureau