A record 18.5 million people visited Cuyahoga County for business or leisure reasons in 2017, according to county marketing and management arm Destination Cleveland.
The organization reports these numbers represent a 2.3 percent increase from 2016, just outpacing the national growth rate (1.9 percent). This, the report indicates, generated $8.8 billion in economic impact, $1.1 billion in tax revenue, and 2,000 new jobs.
2017 Convention Leisure Tourism Metrics Report by WKYC.com on Scribd
Said Destination Cleveland President and CEO David Gilbert:
"With more visitors coming to the region year after year, perceptions of Cleveland continue to be changed around the country and the world. And a visitor is so much more than just a visitor. Positive travel-related experiences in Northeast Ohio influence visitors’ consideration of Cleveland as a place to live, work, study or invest, which helps us to get one step closer to our goal of becoming a destination city."
The number of hotel rooms also increased by 4.5 percent, and Destination Cleveland credits the overall improved numbers to its own efforts "efforts to enhance and promote the Cleveland visitor experience for both leisure and business travelers."
