Tourism office says 15.8 million visitors generated $4 billion in 2023; federal funds support destination projects

Heather Pelham, commissioner of the Department of Tourism and Marketing, told the House Commerce Committee on Jan. 16 that Vermont received about 15.8 million visitors in 2023 and that those visitors generated roughly $4 billion in direct spending.

"We have been able to fund some new research, and we can now show that 15,800,000 visitors came to Vermont in 2023," Pelham said. She described tourism as an economic engine that supports an estimated 30,000 jobs and produces about $282 million in direct tax revenue.

Pelham described the department’s marketing approach, which combines paid, earned and owned media directed at drive and farther domestic markets. She said a recent summer–fall paid campaign totaled about $1 million and produced "over 111,000,000 impressions" and nearly 16…