2024 State of the Visitor Industry: Third Quarter Report

COLUMBUS, Ohio—The 2024 State of the Visitor Industry: Third Quarter Report made available today by Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission reflects on the strength of the local travel economy from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, 2024. The reputation of Columbus as a must-visit destination continues to grow with recent recognition as one of the top 10 best big cities in the country, one of the best food cities in the U.S. and one of the friendliest cities in the country according to Condé Nast Traveler’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, the longest-running and most respected accolades in the travel industry.  
 
Experience Columbus’ new yes, Columbus campaign, launched during the summer continues through the holidays, leveraging accolades and surprising facts to invite visitors to see for themselves why Columbus keeps making headlines. Experience Columbus’ summer campaign had 137M impressions, 1.6M web sessions and resulted in a 49% arrival lift as a result of paid media exposures, according to Arrivalist. 
 
From Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, Columbus hosted a total of 335 conventions, trade shows and sporting events. Some of the top groups welcomed from July through September included AmericanHort’s Cultivate, which brought in 10,000 attendees, filled 11,000 hotel rooms and had an estimated direct visitor spend of $7.6M and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which brought 15,000 attendees, filled 22,000 hotel rooms and had an estimated $15M in direct visitor spend. On the sports side, the USA Fencing Summer Nationals were held in Columbus June 30-July 8 and was the largest fencing event of all-time by participation with more than 6,000 fencers. The summer of soccer included the MLS All-Star Game on July 24, which set an attendance record for Lower.com Field with 20,931 fans attending, and Chelsea vs Manchester City at Ohio Stadium Aug. 3.
 

“It’s been an incredible year so far, with the national spotlight shining on Columbus thanks to major sporting events in each quarter, prominent hosted groups such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church and numerous major national accolades,” said Experience Columbus President and CEO Brian Ross, ECI. “The local travel economy is a vital part of Columbus and Franklin County, supporting one in 13 jobs and generating $1.63 billion in local, state and federal tax revenue that support local human services, economic developments and the arts for our community.”

From Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 2024, the STR report, which provides data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for the global hospitality industry, shows that all key performance metrics increased year over year: 

*RevPAR is a hotel industry performance metric, which is calculated by multiplying a hotel’s ADR by its occupancy rate. 
 
Year-to-date bed tax collections through Sept. 30, 2024 totaled more than $43 million, up 9% over the same period in 2023, according to reports from the Office of City of Columbus Auditor Megan Kilgore. Looking ahead, Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission booked future business accounting for 315,746 room nights.
 

“We’re thrilled by the momentum Columbus brought to the national and international sports stage this summer,” said Greater Columbus Sports Commission CEO and President Linda Logan. “The quarter began with welcoming 6,000 athletes to the USA Fencing Summer Nationals, the most competitors in the sport’s history. The Summer of Soccer began with the MLS All-Star Game that set a new attendance record at Lower.com Field and continued in August as Chelsea and Manchester City to Ohio Stadium brought international competition to our city. Sports undoubtedly showcased Columbus as a premier destination for major events and brought fans from all over the world.” 

Highlighting Columbus’ culinary scene as a top reason to visit continues to be a priority.  For a second year, Experience Columbus is leading an effort to get Columbus chefs and restaurants nominated for the 2025 James Beard Awards. Last year, two Columbus chefs were named semifinalists in the awards program, which are considered one of the highest industry honors. On www.experiencecolumbus.com/jamesbeard the community can learn about recommended chefs and restaurants and how to submit a nomination by the Nov. 29 deadline. 

To view past Experience Columbus and Greater Columbus Sports Commission quarterly reports, visit ExperienceColumbus.com/Reports.  

About Experience Columbus 
Experience Columbus is the destination marketing organization for the Columbus region, dedicated to growing visitor spending and enhancing the visitor experience. Annually, visitors make more than 51 million trips to Greater Columbus annually, spending $8.2 billion and supporting more than 82,500 jobs. For more information, visit ExperienceColumbus.com. 

About the Greater Columbus Sports Commission 
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission’s mission is to rally Columbus to compete and win sporting events, providing a singular athlete and fan experience and positively impacting image, economy and lifestyle. Since 2002, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission has hosted more than 1,100 sporting events, generating an estimated $1.5 billion in direct visitor spending. For more information, visit ColumbusSports.org. 

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Media Contacts:  
Leah Berger, APR, ECI: lberger@experiencecolumbus.com | 614-222-6145 
Cameron Tirado, ECI: ctirado@experiencecolumbus.com | 614-222-6146