This year, May 19-25 marks National Travel & Tourism Week, an annual celebration by the U.S. Travel Association highlighting the vital role of travel in fueling our economy, nurturing lively communities and fostering connections.
In honor of the week, Visit Plano recently announced that Plano welcomes nearly 4 million visitors, contributing over $950 million in direct spending at its hotels, restaurants, attractions and retailers.
During the 2022-2023 fiscal year (Oct. 2022-Sept. 2023), Plano welcomed an estimated 3.7 million overnight visitors. In 2022, Plano's visitor economy thrived, generating a substantial $962,554,296 in direct visitor spending and contributing over $92,085,000 in local and state taxes.
Employment in the hospitality sector soared, with Plano employing more than 8,110 individuals, marking a notable 19% increase from previous years. In 2024, Plano expects to see similar numbers.
The solar eclipse brought thousands to the North Texas city. On April 7, 2024, Plano experienced a hotel occupancy rate of 83.1%, marking a significant increase of 76% compared to March 31, 2024. The trend continued on Monday, April 8, with hotel occupancy reaching 88.1%, representing a 36% rise over April 1, 2024.
During that time, Visit Plano witnessed a surge of over 70% in website traffic on the day of the total solar eclipse, during which nearly 26,000 complimentary eclipse glasses were distributed from Visit Plano. On April 8 alone, the Visit Plano Visitor Center dispensed over 4,000 glasses.
The city of Plano recorded an estimated influx of 227,000 visitors on April 8, with popular destinations such as Windhaven Meadows attracting 2,300 visitors, Oak Point Park hosting 820 visitors and Legacy West drawing 10,800 visitors.
Visitors to these dedicated park viewing locations and Legacy West hailed from various states including Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Washington D.C. and Wyoming.
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