Community Media of South Central PA Celebrating Community
New data shows that travelers spent $786 million in 2023
Gettysburg, PA –A recently released report through the Pennsylvania Department of Community Development (DCED) showed that spending by out-of-town visitors to Adams County, Pa., set a record in 2023, the most recent year of data available.
The study conducted by Tourism Economics on behalf of DCED reported that visitors in 2023 spent $786 million in 2023 — an increase of $50 million over 2022 and surpassing pre-pandemic levels (2019) for the first time.
“We’re excited to see the continued growth of this vital industry in Adams County,” said Karl Pietrzak, President & CEO of Destination Gettysburg, the official destination marketing organization for Adams County, Pa. “As visitation increased coming out of the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the money spent by travelers in this community also grew, sustaining tourism as a top industry in the county.”
Of the $786 million spent by visitors in Adams County in 2023, $203 million was spent on recreation, $196.7 million on transportation, $166.1 million on dining, $128.3 million on retail, and $91.9 million on lodging, according to the report.
The data also showed that direct tax revenue — at the local, state and federal levels — reached $80.3 million, and that tourism directly impacted 5,067 jobs in Adams County in 2023. Wages paid to those employees topped $175 million.
Employment is the only economic figure in the DCED report that has not surpassed pre-COVID levels, as tourism-related businesses across Adams County still struggle to fill all positions. In 2019, employment supported by tourism reach 5,392.
“The pandemic was devastating in many ways, and it was undoubtedly going to take several years to see a full rebound,” Pietrzak said. “While we are excited that visitor spending and tax revenue bounced back strong, it may be another year or more until we see employment make a full recovery.”
Across the state, visitors spent $47.9 billion in 2023, according to the report. Pennsylvania’s tourism economy also supported 507,594 jobs and generated $4.8 billion in state and local taxes. Tourism Economics estimates that each household in Pennsylvania would need to be taxed an additional $903 to replace the visitor taxes received by state and local governments in 2023.
Adams County is part of the Dutch Country Roads region, a nine-county area in Southcentral Pennsylvania. Dutch Country Roads, according to 2023 data, generated the second highest total in visitor spending at $9.77 billion — behind only the “Philadelphia and the Countryside” region.
Learn more about the impact of tourism in Adams County and read the full DCED report by visiting Gettysburgtourismworks.com/impact-of-tourism.html.
