Denver saw another record year of tourists, new report shows

FILE PHOTO: Morning sunlight warms believers during the 77th Easter Sunrise Service at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morison, Colo., March 31, 2024. Red Rocks was one of the most popular tourist destinations in 2023, according to a new report by Visit Denver.
Bear Gutierrez/Special to The Denver Gazette
Tourists keep coming to Denver in record numbers.
The city saw more than 37 million visitors in 2023, which is up 3% from the last record set in 2022, according to a new report from marketing and tourism agency Visit Denver released Monday.
It also means the city is generating more money from tourists.
Denver generated more than $10.3 billion from tourism revenue, up nearly 10% from 2022.
“Tourism is vital to the Denver economy and we are pleased to see our momentum continue in 2023, especially after the dramatic growth we saw in 2022,” said Visit Denver’s CEO Richard W. Scharf in a statement.
Tourism quickly rebounded from the pandemic, according to the annual study conducted by Longwoods International since 1994.
Denver saw nearly 32 million visitors in 2019 before it fell to 27.7 million visitors in 2020.
By 2021, visits to the city were nearly back to normal. In 2022, tourism not only fully rebounded but broke records by more than 4 million visits. The growth trend continued into the next year.
Tourism growth in 2023 was led by overnight leisure trips, the report found, up 5% from the previous year for a total of 17.5 million trips.
About 40% of overnight visitors came by plane — almost twice as much as the national average — as Denver International Airport also broke passenger records last year.
Denver may have been in better position than other cities after COVID-19, said Longwoods International CEO Amir Eylon in a statement.
“When looked at in relation to other destinations, Denver enjoyed comparably higher growth suggesting that it benefits from its unique position offering visitors both sought-after urban experiences and easy access to outdoor activities,” stated Elyon.
Denver attracted the most people from California, Texas, Kansas and Florida last year, the report found.
Some of the most visited attractions in the city include the Cherry Creek shopping area, 16th Street Mall, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, Denver Zoo, and Denver Broncos football games.