VisitErie Reports Fall 2023 Visitor Trends
Erie, PA: VisitErie, Erie County's official destination marketing organization, reports its insights on fall 2023 visitor trends spanning September 1 to November 30.
Fall 2023 Erie County Visitation Highlights:
- 58% of visitors were from out-of-state, 42% from in-state, nearly identical to 2022.
- Hotel average daily rate (ADR) was $117, a 3% increase compared to 2022.
- Hotel occupancy averaged 53.4%, a slight decrease of 1% compared to 2022.
- Erie's traditional visitor origin markets remained the same, however, increases in visitation were seen from Youngstown, Ohio (up 7%) and Buffalo, NY (up 23%).
- Upper Peach Street was the most visited region, with 34% of visitors observed spending time there.
- Overall Erie Visitor Guide requests increased 144%, compared to 2022.
- VisitErie's share of the hotel tax revenue was 5.4% higher compared to 2022.
VisitErie's marketing campaign targeted visitors in the designated market areas of Pittsburgh, Johnstown/Altoona, Southern Ontario, Buffalo, NY, Cleveland, and Youngstown Ohio. Fall 2023 was also VisitErie's first significant campaign presence in Buffalo, NY for the year. VisitErie President and CEO John Oliver stated, "Fall 2023 numbers were nearly identical to those from 2022. We did, however, see an increase in visitation from Buffalo, NY which leads me to believe that our strategic marketing efforts are paying off."
Visitor data analyzed is compiled through Smith Travel Research reports and Zartico Destination Operating System®, a national research company that uses anonymized cell phone geolocation data to track visitor activity. Visitors are defined as individuals who have traveled more than 50 miles from their home location, stay in Erie County for more than two hours, and visit at least one defined point of interest. Using this information, VisitErie studies Erie County visitor trends, including what markets visitors are coming from, how long they are staying, what they spend their money on, and what they are doing while here. The valuable information generated also allows VisitErie to look at visitor activity for specific seasons, geographic regions, or significant events.
