Savannah Chamber

65 Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce 2019 Economic Trends 20 Industry: Tourism Savannah exudes a beauty and charm that few, if any, destinations can match. Savannah's tourism and hospitality industry continues to be one of the largest economic drivers of Savannah. Travel to Savannah remains strong and the city enjoys visitors from all over the world. Recently, the city was ranked in the "Top U.S. Cities" (#3) Travel + Leisure Magazine. The Savannah tourism sector continued to grow in 2017 with total overnight person-stays increasing from 7.9 million in 2016 to 8 million. In 2017, over 14.1 million visitors came to Savannah including 8 million overnight visitors and 6.1 million day-trippers. The demand for rooms increased 2.7% in 2017. Visitor spending increased by 4.0% to approximately $2.9 billion. In 2017, room tax revenue climbed to $25.5 million, setting another record high. Tourism's Impact on Savannah/Chatham County 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Number of Lodging Rooms (1) 14,743 14,983 15,009 15,394 15,549 Person-Stays (Overnight) (2) 7.3 Million 7.6 Million 7.9 Million 7.9 Million 8.0 Million Room Night Demand (1) 3.4 Million 3.6 Million 3.7 Million 3.7 Million 3.8 Million Direct Spending (2) $2.3 Billion $2.5 Billion $2.7 Billion $2.8 Billion $2.9 Billion Room Tax Revenue (3) $17.9Million $20.7 Million $23.2 Million $24.4 Million $25.5 Million Sources: Visit Savannah 1 Smith Travel Research – Chatham County 2 Longwoods International 3 City of Savannah/Chatham County/Tybee Island Savannah's tourists enjoy year-round activities. Although the busiest months in terms of visitation are April, May, and June, tourism activity is spread fairly evenly across the year. For overnight visitors, the mix is 89% leisure travel and 11% business and business-leisure. Over-night visitors stay approximately 2.4 nights in Savannah. Savannah excels in special interest tourism activities and continues to be an exciting destination. Savannah's distinctive qualities allow the city to stand out in the crowd. In top interest categories for overnight visitors, Savannah remains far ahead of typical national levels. Sources: Longwoods Travel USA 2017 Visitor Final Report, via Visit Savannah. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Historic Places Cultural Activites/Attraction Exceptional Culinary Experiences Special Interest Tourism Activities: Savannah vs US US Norm Savannah Recreation, 11% Transport, 9% Lodging, 43% Retail, 14% Restaurant Food & Beverages, 23% Total Overnight Spending by Sector

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