DENVER VISITORS SPEND A RECORD $3.1 BILLION IN 2008
June 18, 2009
Denver bucked a national decline in business and leisure travel in 2008 to set a new record for visitor spending of $3.1 billion, up 9 percent over the $2.9 billion spent in 2007.
The Mile High City attracted 12.2 million overnight visitors
in 2008, the same as in 2007. However, boosted by the Democratic National
Convention (DNC) and a strong convention year, these leisure and business
travelers spent more money. These results come from the Denver 2008
Travel Year report by Longwoods International.
Conducted on behalf of VISIT DENVER, The Convention &
Visitors Bureau, the Longwoods report shows that Denver experienced a slight
growth of 1 percent in overnight leisure travelers in 2008; however, these
visitors spent 10 percent more than they did last year. Business travel
volume to Denver declined 2 percent in 2008; however, the DNC and a strong
convention year accounted for 5 percent more money being spent, creating a new
record of $940 million for business travel spending in 2008.
Denver’s 2 percent drop in business travel was minor
compared to an 11 percent national decline. “Denver had its best
convention year ever in 2008, which helped offset the huge national decline in
business travel that occurred in the fourth quarter due to the economy,”
said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of VISIT DENVER.
An additional 6.7 million people came to Denver on daytrips,
accounting for another $368 million in spending. Denver day trippers, who
mostly originate from in-state, rose 10 percent in 2008.
Most of the growth in overnight visitors and spending came
from “marketable” visitors – those visitors who could travel
to any destination, but chose to visit Denver. They accounted for 4.1
million visitors in 2008, up 3 percent from 2007 and the fifth straight
year-over-year increase. These visitors spent $1.1 billion in the city or
34 percent of all overnight visitor spending.
“‘Marketable’ visitors are important because they spent about
$96 per person a day in 2008, considerably more than people coming to the city
to visit friends or relatives at $48 a day, or daytrippers at $55 a day,”
Scharf said. These travelers were almost as “valuable” to the
city as business travelers, who spent $102 per capita daily.
VISIT DENVER conducted the largest visitor marketing
campaign in Denver’s history in 2008 with an integrated advertising
campaign targeted at attracting regional, national, and fly-drive visitors in
the key markets of Phoenix, Dallas, and Minneapolis. “We were very
pleased that through our marketing efforts, we have shown real success in
increasing the number of visitors from Phoenix. Three years ago, Phoenix
was the seventh largest out-of-state urban source for Denver visitors; in 2008,
they were second,” Scharf said.
Some success stories from the study:
·
The typical leisure party in 2008 was three
adults and the average length of stay was 3.5 nights. Denver has seen a
steady increase in the past four years in length of stay, the reverse of a
national trend which is seeing shorter vacations.
·
In all areas: business travel, leisure
travel and “marketable visitors,” Denver outperformed the national
averages in 2008. While other destinations saw total visitation numbers
tumble, Denver maintained overnight visitor count at 12.2 million, the same as
the record set in 2007.
·
Denver’s business visitors declined 2
percent, while the nationwide drop was 11 percent.
·
Denver’s “marketable” visitors
increased 3 percent while nationwide “marketable” travel was
completely flat. This was the fifth straight year for Denver to see an
increase in “marketable” visitors.
·
Total visitor spending was up 9 percent to $3.1
billion, the most ever spent in a single year.
·
Denver’s image improved in 2008,
continuing a trend over the past several years. A total of 65 percent of
recent visitors “agreed strongly” or “somewhat” with
the overall measure that Denver is a place they would “really enjoy
visiting again,” up from 62 percent who responded this way in 2007.
·
Compared to 2007, in 2008 Denver was perceived
more positively by visitors as offering: affordable dining and accommodations, unique
local cuisine, excellent vacation value, great nightlife and entertainment, and
excellent museums and galleries.
Findings: Longwoods Denver 2008
2008 2007
Total Overnight trips to Denver: 2.5
million business 2.6
million
9.7
million pleasure 9.6
million
12.2
million total
12.2 million
Total Day Trips to Denver 6.7
million 6.1
million
Total Spending (Overnight Visitors): $3.10
billion $2.86
billion
Accommodations $1,011
million
$939 million
Eating/Drinking $794
million $715
million
Retail $463
million $458
million
Transportation $607
million $600
million
Recreation $230
million $206
million
Total Spending (Day Visitors): $0.37
billion $0.33
billion
Average Daily Expenditure:
Business
traveler $102
a day $104
a day
Marketable
traveler $96
a day $93
a day
Visiting
friends/relatives $48
a day $38
a day
Day
Visitor $55
a day $55
a day
States sending overnight leisure Urban
areas sending overnight
visitors to Denver (apart from leisure
visitors to Denver
Colorado itself)
(in order) (in
order)
California Colorado
Springs-Pueblo
Texas Los
Angeles
Florida Phoenix
Nebraska New
York City
Wyoming Kansas
City
Arizona Salt
Lake City
Missouri Grand
Junction-Montrose
Iowa Dallas-Ft.
Worth
Arkansas San
Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
Kansas Albuquerque-Santa
Fe
Top Attractions Visited in 2008
Overall Paid
Admission
16th Street Mall Denver
Zoo
Cherry Creek Shopping District Colorado
Rockies
Denver Zoo Denver’s
Downtown Aquarium
Castle Rock Factory Outlets Denver
Museum of Nature & Science
LoDo Historic District Denver
Art Museum
Larimer Square Colorado
History Museum
Coors Brewery Children’s
Museum of Denver
Colorado Rockies Red
Rocks Amphitheatre
Colorado State Capitol Denver
Botanic Gardens
Denver’s Downtown Aquarium Elitch
Gardens
About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors
Bureau
Celebrating 100 years of promoting the Mile High City, VISIT
DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver
to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic
development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. Tourism is
the second-largest industry in Denver, generating $3.1 billion in annual
spending in 2008, while supporting 65,000 jobs. For more information on Denver
call 800-2-DENVER or visit Denver’s official Web site at VISITDENVER.com.
# # #
With press or photo inquiries, please contact:
Rich Grant: (303) 571-9450 or rgrant@visitdenver.com
Jen Elving: (303) 571-9451 jelving@visitdenver.com