What is it: Shores & Islands Ohio has set a record for travel and tourism in the region, both in visitation and economic impact, according to a July 23 release from
Shores & Islands Ohio, the area’s destination marketing organization.
According to a study from
Tourism Economics, the region welcomed about 13 million visitors in 2023, which helped to generate $3.1 billion in tourism sales for the calendar year, an increase of 17% from the organization’s 2021 study. Tourism Economics is one of the world’s leading providers of economic analysis.
Total tourism sales include direct, indirect, and induced spending and represent a number of different economic activities, including transportation, recreation, retail, lodging, food & beverage. The direct sales spending breakdown by sector for our area is approximately 17% retail, 16% transportation, 13% lodging, 12% food & beverage, and 11% recreation & entertainment, according to the release.
Why is it important: “These new numbers reinforce the importance of the travel and tourism industry to the economic vitality of the region and highlight the area’s continued appeal as a top travel destination in the Midwest,” said Shores & Islands Ohio President, Larry Fletcher.
Locally, about 14,000 people are employed within the travel and tourism industry. Tourism wages were $477 million in 2023 in Erie and Ottawa counties. In 2023, the tourism industry in the region also generated $382 million in taxes. Erie and Ottawa counties’ tourism activities generated more than $106 million in State of Ohio taxes, with an additional $89 million in county taxes between the two counties.
Tax dollars generated through tourism help support many municipal services and reduce residents’ tax bills, the press release notes. It is estimated that in 2023, state and local tourism tax receipts contributed tax savings of $5,155 per household in Erie County and $1,682 per household in Ottawa County.
Along with other Lake Erie-bordering counties, including Lucas, Sandusky, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, and Ashtabula, the Lake Erie coastal region had a total economic impact of $20 billion combined. The Lake Erie region also combined to create 131,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in taxes, all increases over 2021.
The data for this study is coordinated by the Department of Development,
TourismOhio and executed by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics.