Denver Tourism Surges to 31M+ Visitors in 2021

– Leisure journey exhibits robust return amid persevering with struggles in enterprise journey sectors –

DENVER, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In 2021, Denver welcomed 31.7 million guests, regaining a lot of the losses skilled through the top of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Development was notably robust within the home in a single day leisure market, whereas flat progress in enterprise journey segments, and the dearth of an abroad worldwide market final 12 months, exhibits that the trade – in Denver and throughout the nation – nonetheless has a methods to go to meet up with the benchmark 12 months of 2019. That stated, the numbers are a trigger for cautious optimism as vacationers hit the street in giant numbers final 12 months and spent just like pre-COVID ranges. Journey spending by all guests to Denver in 2021 reached $6.6 billion, a determine not removed from the report $7 billion spent in 2019.

The brand new knowledge are a part of the 2021 Longwoods Worldwide annual customer profile research. Longwoods has been finding out Denver guests since 1994 and conducts analysis that gives a regular customer monitoring instrument for lots of the nation’s high tourism locations.

Longwoods additionally studied the impacts of VISIT DENVER’s advertising efforts, displaying a robust return on funding throughout the important thing 2021 summer season journey season.

“This 12 months’s report actually illustrates the wild trip that we skilled final 12 months,” stated Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER. “In lots of regards, journey did its job in 2021, creating billions in spending at native companies, producing thousands and thousands in state and native taxes, and supporting tens of hundreds of jobs.”

In a single day visitation from the leisure market was notably robust in 2021, hitting 14.8 million, a 27% enhance over 2020, together with a 26% enhance from “marketable” guests, the first focus of VISIT DENVER’s promotional efforts. Complete in a single day visitation, a determine that mixes leisure and enterprise journey, hit 16.6 million, a 24% enhance over 2020. Total visitation to Denver, a mixture of day and in a single day journey, hit 31.7 million guests in 2021, a 14.5% enhance over 2020. In a single day enterprise journey elevated a modest 3% in 2021 to 1.8 million.

Spending by in a single day guests elevated in 2021 to $5.5 billion, a 29% enhance over 2020. Amongst all traveler sorts, enterprise vacationers spent essentially the most at $173 per day, adopted by marketable leisure guests at $158 per day.

“Tourism continues to be a key financial driver for our metropolis, and we’re happy to see journey demand return,” stated Scharf. “That stated, these outcomes occurred earlier than the present headwinds we’re experiencing, from the Omicron wave earlier this 12 months, the sharp enhance in journey prices, continued softness within the group and enterprise journey market, and the delayed return of the worldwide customer into 2023.”

Longwoods Worldwide additionally carried out Return on Funding (ROI) analysis for VISIT DENVER’s 2021 summer season promoting marketing campaign, its largest of the 12 months. The research revealed among the strongest ROI numbers VISIT DENVER has seen, displaying that the marketing campaign generated 1.2 million incremental journeys, producing $338 million in incremental customer spending and $38 million in state and native taxes. Measured towards spending, the marketing campaign generated an ROI of $151 in customer spending and $17 in taxes for each $1 in promoting funding.

Key numbers for 2021 embrace:

• Denver welcomed 31.7 whole guests in 2021, together with 16.6 million in a single day guests and 15.1 million day guests, a 14.5% enhance over 2020.

• In a single day leisure guests totaled 14.8 million in 2021, a 27% enhance over 2020.

• There have been 7.1 million “marketable” leisure guests in 2021, a 26% enhance over 2020. This section has essentially the most discretion on the place to trip and responds to tourism advertising. This viewers is the first focus of a lot of VISIT DENVER’s advertising efforts and spends extra money and time in-market than every other leisure customer sort.

• Denver guests spent $6.6 billion in 2021, together with $5.5 billion from in a single day guests and a further $1.1 billion in spending from day guests, a 26.2% enhance over 2020.

• Denver in a single day guests spent greater than $1.5 billion on lodging, and $974 million on meals and drinks.

• Expenditures by in a single day guests on transportation reached greater than $1.8 billion. Retail purchases had been $700 million, whereas in a single day guests spent almost $500 million on paid sights and different leisure and sightseeing actions.

• On common in 2021, the most important spenders had been enterprise vacationers, who spent $173 per day; adopted by marketable guests, who spent $158 per day. Day guests spent $73 per day.

• Out-of-state in a single day leisure vacationers comprised 78 % of holiday makers (up from 76 % in 2020).

The highest states sending vacationers to Denver in 2021, aside from Colorado itself, had been:

• Texas
• California
• Florida
• Arizona

The highest cities from exterior of Colorado sending leisure guests to Denver in 2021 had been:

• Los Angeles, CA
• Dallas-Ft. Value, TX*
• New York Metropolis, NY
• Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM*
• Chicago, IL*
• Houston, TX*
• Orlando-Daytona Seaside, FL

*Denotes a VISIT DENVER promoting market

High 2021 Customer Sights*

• Pink Rocks Park & Amphitheatre**
• Denver Artwork Museum
• Denver Zoo
• Colorado Rockies
• Water World
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park
• Downtown Aquarium
• Colorado State Capitol**
• Denver Broncos
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science/IMAX Theater
• Buffalo Invoice’s Museum/Grave
• Denver Nuggets
• Butterfly Pavilion
• Historical past Colorado Heart
• Colorado Railroad Museum
• Youngsters’s Museum of Denver
• Colorado Avalanche
• Colorado Rapids
• Museum of Modern Artwork (MCA)

*Based mostly on survey responses
**Denotes a free attraction

High 2021 Buying/Leisure Areas*

• sixteenth Road Mall
• Cherry Creek
• Denver Pavilions
• Denver Union Station
• Park Meadows Retail Resort
• Larimer Sq.

*Based mostly on survey responses

About VISIT DENVER, The Conference & Guests Bureau
Celebrating 113 years of selling The Mile Excessive Metropolis, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit commerce affiliation that contracts with the Metropolis of Denver to market Denver as a conference and leisure vacation spot, rising financial growth within the metropolis, creating jobs and producing taxes. Denver welcomed greater than 31.7 million guests in 2021, producing $6.6 billion in spending, whereas supporting tens of hundreds of jobs and making Tourism one of many metropolis’s largest industries. Be taught extra about Denver on the VISIT DENVER web site or at Tourism Pays Denver. Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN) is the No. 3 busiest airport on the earth connecting The Mile Excessive Metropolis to greater than 200 locations globally. Observe Denver’s social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates on Fb, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

With press or photograph inquiries, please contact:
Jesse Davis: (303) 571-9450 or [email protected]
Jen Osieczanek: (303) 571-9451 or [email protected]  

SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Conference & Guests Bureau