CLINTON, Iowa — New data from the Iowa Tourism Office shows that Clinton County's tourism-related spending surpassed $69 million in 2022, which is an 8.5% increase compared to spending in 2021.
That same report showed tourism spending across the state of Iowa surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
“Grow Clinton aims to have Clinton County crack the top ten counties for tourism-related expenditures. As the twelfth most populous county, our expenditures currently rank 14th in the state," Matt Parbs, Grow Clinton's vice president of community and economic development, said. "We have strong growth momentum in the River Cities, and since we work with Fulton and Illinois to market our joint area, our regional impact is probably a top ten county in Iowa."
Here's the breakdown of what visitors in Clinton County were spending money on:
- $11.3 million for lodging
- $16.2 million in the food & beverage industry
- $11.5 million in recreation spending
- $10.2 million in retail spending
- $20.3 million in transportation, which includes air and land-based travel
This also provided a boost in tourism-related jobs by 3% in the county, with the industry having 527 people working directly in the tourism industry.
“Tourism spending is a major driver of economic growth in our region," Lesley Webster, Grow Clinton's director of placemaking and tourism, said. "In addition, we know that 64% of people who visit a place report they would consider moving there. So tourism generates revenue and job spending, benefits workforce development efforts, and enhances our quality of life."
You can find the Iowa Tourism Office's full report here, along with data on individual counties.
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