CLEVELAND (Oct. 11, 2022) – Destination Cleveland, the destination marketing and management organization for Cuyahoga County, today announced the county recorded 16.1 million visits in 2021 for business and leisure travel, representing a 17% increase over 2020, when the county experienced a 30% loss in visit volume due to the global pandemic[i]. Cuyahoga County’s 2021 visitation growth was firmly above the State of Ohio’s 9%[ii] rebound yet somewhat trailing the U.S. domestic visitation growth rate of 28%[iii].
Data from Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics, shows that both day and overnight visitor volumes grew with day visits growing at 3.1% and overnight visits increasing by 42.4%. Day visitors represented 58% of the total number of visitors to the region, while 42% were overnight visitors, which is consistent with Cuyahoga County’s 2019 visit distribution.
“The recovery of Cuyahoga County’s travel and tourism industry is well underway as all key performance indicators returned to an upward trajectory in 2021 – from visits and spending to employment and taxes generated,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO, Destination Cleveland. “Travel and tourism remains a key industry for Cleveland’s future. Our recovery to 2019 levels is on pace for 2024, though facing headwinds from inflation, continued staffing challenges and supply chain disruption. Despite these challenges, we are laser focused on stewarding the recovery in collaboration with the region’s hospitality businesses and our civic partners. Together, we will return the industry to its position as a growth sector.”
Direct Sales and Economic Impact
Visitors continued to have an impact on the local economy[iv]. Travel and tourism in Cuyahoga County accounted for nearly $5.4 billion in direct sales, contributing to a total economic impact of $9.3 billion. The 23% increase in direct sales over 2020 is nearly identical to both state (+24%) and U.S. domestic (+24%) travel spending recovery in 2021. While increased visitation contributed to both direct sales and economic impact recovery reaching near pre-pandemic levels, both were primarily driven by inflation (particularly high in lodging, airfare and gas prices) and increased indirect and induced economic benefits of the 2020 and 2021 financial stimulus packages. These dollars encouraged more spending as households and businesses returned to pre-pandemic behaviors.
Employment, Taxes Generated and Resident Tax Offset
Travel and tourism produced $3.1 billion in employment income for locals through about 64,000 jobs in Cuyahoga County, accounting for about 7% of all jobs in the county[v]. The increase of 7,000 jobs from 2020 represents a rebound to 93% of the county’s 2019 travel and tourism employment (69,500). This recovery puts the leisure and hospitality industry just behind the financial activities industry for employment growth in the Cleveland market in 2021 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The industry generated $1.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes, which resulted in a savings of nearly $1,200 in taxes for each Cuyahoga County household.
“Visitors drive a significant portion of the Cleveland economy with $5.4 billion in business activity supporting 64,000 jobs. The recovery thus far is a testament to Cleveland’s enduring attractiveness to visitors as well as its competitive strength,” said Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics. “While the broader economy faces uncertainty and the prospect of a recession in 2023, the Cleveland visitor economy is well-positioned to prevail.”
Recovery to 2019 Performance and 2022 Outlook
Industry data shows that Cuyahoga County is on pace with the recovery of the U.S. domestic travel industry to 2019 levels in visits and spending. The local employment recovery rate is well ahead of the overall domestic industry employment recovery. While the State of Ohio visit volume and direct spending recovery registered at a significantly higher rate due to travelers’ continued high interest in outdoor activities in 2021, Cuyahoga County’s employment recovery is on pace with the regrowth of industry employment in the State of Ohio overall.