Iowa’s tourism industry reached a milestone in 2023, with visitor spending surpassing $7.3 billion, a 5.1% increase from 2022, according to the state’s latest economic impact report. This spending in-turn generated $10.9 billion in total business sales and $1.9 billion in government revenues, with $1.1 billion directly contributing to state and local taxes. The growth, however, underscores both the sector’s potential and the ongoing challenges of equitable economic recovery, labor shortages, and demographic shifts.
Had the state not generated these tourism revenues, each Iowa household would have faced an additional $857 in taxes to maintain equivalent public funding levels. Tourism supported 70,954 jobs, accounting for 5.4% of…
