U.S. Destinations Reveal Travel and Tourism Numbers for 2024

MADDY RYLEY, MANAGING EDITOR

May 20, 2025

CHICAGO — The numbers are in from various DMOs and CVBs from around the country revealing the visitation numbers and economic impact of tourism and conventions in U.S. cities from 2024.

Some cities put up impressive numbers, increasing their total visitation year-over-year (YOY), and collectively they saw an increase in the number of international visitors — although those numbers have not reached pre-pandemic levels yet.

Orlando

Visit Orlando announced the city welcomed more than 75 million visitors in 2024, marking a 1.8% increase over the previous year. Of the more than 75 million visitors, 68.8 million were domestic visitors and 6.5 million were visitors from international markets — a 5.9% increase from 2023.

Other visitor statistics include:

10% of the visitors to Orlando were there for domestic business
Group meetings segment saw 5,616,000 visitors (up 3.9% YOY)
Top origin markets: Canada, U.K., Brazil, Mexico and Colombia
Washington, D.C., welcomed more than 27 million visitors last year.

Washington, D.C.

The U.S. capital reported a record-breaking year in 2024, welcoming more than 27 million visitors, according to Destination DC (DDC). Twenty-five million of those visitors were domestic, outpacing last year’s count by one million, and the more than 2 million international visitors represent a 10% increase YOY.

Other impacts of these visitation numbers include:

$11.4 billion in visitor spending (up 12% YOY)
$2.3 billion in tax revenue (up 11% YOY)
111,500 jobs supported (up 8% YOY)

Overall, DDC reports visitation was up 5% YOY overall, and that 30% of domestic travelers were coming for business.

Chicago

Choose Chicago also recently revealed the visitation numbers for 2024, and reported a post-pandemic high for international visitors. In total, Chicago welcomed 55.3 million visitors in 2024, which reflects a more than 6% increase from 2023 and a $20.6 billion economic impact on the city.

Other impacts and statistics include:

International visitation exceeded 2 million people for the first time since 2019, and was a 10% increase YOY
1,891 conventions and meetings took place in the city in 2024, representing a more than $3 billion economic impact
In 2024, the Choose Chicago sales team secured 49 citywide conventions and 2.65 million future hotel room nights

At the annual meeting when the numbers were announced, Informa Connect, producer of the National Restaurant Association Show, also announced its long-term commitment to holding the annual trade show in Chicago through 2032.

Las Vegas

According to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw 41,676,300 visitors in 2024, up from 40.8 million in 2023 and representing a 2.07% YOY.

Convention attendance reached 5,994,800 (up 0.135% YOY, but still below the 2019 record surpassing 6.6 million)
LVCVA reports that 47% of convention visitors said they were more interested in attending their business meeting or event because it was being held in Las Vegas
Total economic impact generated by visitor spending reach $87.7 billion, with total employment related to tourism in Southern Nevada reaching more than 385,000

The overall gains reported in 2024 over 2023 can be viewed in context with the LVCVA’s announcement that visitation the Las Vegas decreased 7.8% from March 2024 to March 2025. While overall visitation suffered a significant drop, convention attendance saw a 10.2% surge in March 2025, credited to the Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Health Conference and Exhibition.