Issue link: http://savannah.uberflip.com/i/1202658
70 Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce 2020 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 for the region. Travel to Savannah remains strong, and the city enjoys visitors from all over the world. Recently, the city ranked in the "Best U.S. Cities" (#4) by Travel + Leisure magazine. The Savannah tourism sector continued to grow with total overnight person-stays increasing from 8 million in 2017 to 8.2 million in 2018. In 2018, over 14.5 million visitors came to Savannah including 8.2 million overnight visitors and 6.3 million day-visitors. The demand for rooms increased 2.6% in 2018, and visitor spending increased by 3.1% to $3 billion. In 2018, room tax revenue climbed to $26.7 million, setting another record high. Tourism's Impact on Savannah/Chatham County 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Number of Lodging Rooms (1) 14,983 15,009 15,394 15,549 16,199 Person-Stays (Overnight) (2) 7.6 Million 7.8 Million 7.9 Million 8 Million 8.2 Million Room Night Demand (1) 3.6 Million 3.7 Million 3.7 Million 3.8 Million 3.9 Million Direct Spending (2) $2.5 Billion $2.7 Billion $2.8 Billion $2.9 Billion $3 Billion Room Tax Revenue (3) $20.7 Million $23.2 Million $24.4 Million $25.5 Million $26.7 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 91% leisure travel and 9% business and business-leisure. Overnight visitors stay approximately 2.6 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 2018 Visitor Final Report, via Visit Savannah.