Adams County saw record visitor spending in 2024, study shows

Home to what some may refer to as the “best known small town in the world,” many would likely not be surprised to hear that tourism is a major driver of the Adams County economy.

But how much does that industry draw each year? Quite a bit, it turns out.

According to the 2024 Economic Impact of Travel Report, prepared by Tourism Economics on behalf of the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, visitors to Adams County spent $809.2 million in the community in 2024.

The figure was recently highlighted in a news release by Destination Gettysburg on Dec. 1, 2025, which noted it was a record amount.

“Tourism is a powerful driver of Adams County’s economic engine, and these numbers illustrate the strength of this vital industry,” Karl Pietrzak, president and CEO of Destination Gettysburg, said in the release.

“We’re pleased to see such strong visitor spending and know that Adams County will continue to inspire new generations of visitors.”

The number marks an increase from 2023, which saw $786 million spent by visitors, the report shows.

In comparison, Adams County’s much larger and populous neighbor, York County, saw $1,224.8 million spent by visitors in 2024, the report shows.

In 2024, according to the report, visitors to Adams County spent the most on transportation, at $208.6 million, followed by recreation at $208 million, food and beverage at $171.2 million, $131.6 million on retail and $89.8 million on lodging.

Employment related to tourism also increased to around 5,101 jobs directly supported by visitor spending, up from 5,067, according to the report.

Those 5,101 jobs generated $178.8 million in labor income, $42.6 million in federal taxes, and $39.6 million in state and local taxes.

In the release, Destination Gettysburg noted that while record visitor spending has returned to the county, the impacts of COVID-19 are still being felt in the workforce, with 5,101 remaining below the pre-COVID employment number of around 5,392 jobs directly supported by visitor spending in 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a stark impact on the county as a whole, the reports show, with visitor spending initially falling from $750.7 million in 2019 to just $488.9 million in 2020. Those values remained below pre-COVID spending until 2023.

In the Economic Impact of Travel Reports, Adams County is grouped within the “Dutch Country Roads” region, made up of Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties.