Happy National Travel and Tourism Week!

Established in 1983, National Travel and Tourism Week is an annual tradition to mark the U.S. travel industry’s role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, stimulating business activity, and elevating the quality of life for everyday Americans.

Travel serves as a catalyst for a productive U.S. economy and helps power the success of other industries, from manufacturing and agriculture to defense and healthcare. The U.S. travel industry generated a $2.6 trillion economic output in 2022 and supported 15 million jobs, fueling communities, small businesses, and working families across the country.

Travel spending also generated nearly $160 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022—revenue that helped fund critical public services while saving each U.S. household an average of $1,270 in taxes.

Missouri welcomed 40.1 million visitors in 2022, driving $602.7 million in state tax revenues and an $18.4 billion total economic impact. The tourism industry employs over 281,000 Missourians, with nearly 3,800 of those jobs located in Cole County.

Travel is powerful for cities and states, and Jefferson City is no exception. Visitor expenditures in Cole County’s tourism-related industries were $175,445,984 in 2022. Not only is travel beneficial for the economy but it also does wonders for health. Those who take all or most of their vacation time to travel report higher rates of happiness with physical health and well-being compared to those who don’t travel as much.

When travel succeeds, America succeeds. That’s the impact of moving Travel Forward.