The Impact of Tourism in Lancaster PA

Statistics

Press

Tourism is one of the leading industries in the county, an important source of tax revenues, and a key economic development tool. Its investments in attractions and amenities serve the traveling public, enhance the quality of life of area residents, and produce growth in other sectors of our economy.

Hundreds of companies in Lancaster County benefit from travel and tourism through their direct interaction with visitors at places like attractions, restaurants, shops, gas stations and lodging properties. But these benefits also ripple outward to businesses in the industry’s supply chain, such as farmers, printers, builders, cleaning suppliers, landscapers…the list goes on and on.

When people travel, they spend money, whether it’s a family vacation, bus trip or annual convention. This spending directly translates into sales for Lancaster County businesses, jobs for Lancaster County residents and crucial tax revenue for our county and local governments.

Central to the success of the area’s tourism industry is Discover Lancaster. We are the official destination marketing organization for Lancaster County, and the impact of our promotional outreach is demonstrated by the figures in the rest of this section.

Statistics

Tourism works for Lancaster County.

The “Lancaster County Visitor Economy” report completed in May 2025 by the respected industry analysts at Tourism Economics contains figures that demonstrate why organizations like Discover Lancaster are so crucial.

Through an analysis of key performance indicators, the study describes the economic impact of this important work, the highlights of which include:

An estimated 10.2 million visitors to Lancaster County directly spent $2.7 billion in 2024 (representing gains of 2.7% and 4.2%, respectively, over 2023), creating a total tourism impact of $3.5 billion in the county.

This visitor spending supported 26,341 county jobs in total, including 17,411 direct industry jobs. These figures both grew by 1-2% in 2024 and kept tourism in the Top 10 largest non-agriculture private sector employers in the county.

State and local tax revenue generated by the tourism industry saved each Lancaster County household from paying an additional estimated $1,180 annually in such taxes in order to maintain current services.

Press Releases

Discover Lancaster shares 2024 tourism growth, welcomes new President & CEO, and highlights “New for ‘25” items, 5/7/25

Press Coverage

“Lancaster County tourism hits record high”
ABC 27, 5/12/25

“Continued strong tourism in Lancaster County”
WGAL, 5/13/25

Partners

Discover Lancaster is proud to partner with local businesses that are committed to creating the best possible experience for visitors and residents of Lancaster County, PA.

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