Why Tourism Matters

The visitor economy drives vitality in the Cincinnati region

The travel and tourism industry generates new revenue and tax dollars that create jobs, opportunity and vitality for the residents and communities across the 15-county, three-state Cincinnati region. Tourism is often the front door to attract talent, business and economic development.

Growth in tourism has been one of the brightest spots in our regional economy, outpacing national growth averages.

This expansion continues to renew our destination as more developers and businesses recognize the opportunity to build on the sustained success and momentum.

meetNKY, the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Cincinnati Regional Tourism Network have collaborated on an Economic Impact Study to measure the influence and impact the visitor economy contributes to the robust economy in the Cincinnati Region. 

Key Findings from the Study (2016 results):

• $5 billion in Economic Impact: Visitors to the 15 county/3 state Cincinnati Region spent $5 Billion on Lodging, Food and Beverage and Retail. 
• 26.1 million visitors: The Cincinnati Region hosted 26.1 million visitors in 2016.
• 77,000 jobs: The travel and tourism industry supports 77,000 wage earning jobs.
• $1.1 Billion in Taxes: Tourism generates $1.1 Billion in tax revenue including taxes paid to the state and to local jurisdictions. This tax revenue offsets every regional household's yearly tax burden by $630! 

Since 2009, The Cincinnati region's growth in visitor volume, room demand, revenue and hospitality employment has outpaced the growth of the United States in all these measures.  

View the entire report.

Source: Tourism Economics 2016 Economic Impact Report

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