Visit KC announces record-breaking 28.4 million visitors to Kansas City in 2023

Kansas City tourism generated $6.7 billion in economic impact in 2023

Yesterday (Tuesday, Sept. 17), Visit KC hosted the highly anticipated 2024 Annual Tourism Outlook, where data showcasing Kansas City’s 2023 tourism and economic successes was shared with members of the local hospitality community.

Visit KC leadership was proud to announce Kansas City welcomed a record-breaking 28.4 million visitors in 2023, a 4.9% increase from the year prior. Those visitors spent nearly $4 billion during their trips to Kansas City, an 11% increase from 2022.

“I’m excited to see Visit KC’s reach continue to grow. The team is bringing the good news from Kansas City to more people than ever before. At the same time, they’re keeping the Kansas City Convention Center filled with hundreds of meetings and events each year,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “All of this equates to more visitors traveling through our stunning new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport, spending at our shops and restaurants, patronizing our treasured cultural institutions, and staying at our hotels—generating meaningful economic impact and strengthening the community we all love in the process.”

Direct and indirect spending in 2023 generated $6.7 billion in economic impact across the Kansas City region. The tourism industry employs thousands of local workers—part of the 128,0000 hospitality and leisure workers in the KC region—and in 2023 generated $473 million in state and local tax revenue.

Of the more than 28 million visitors, 13 million stayed overnight to experience more of our impressive restaurants, hotels, attractions and venues across the Kansas City region, spending nearly $3 billion during their overnight trips.

As Kansas City’s global profile continues to rise, international visitor spending also increased to approximately $99 million of 2023’s total visitor spending, up from $61 million in 2022. With Kansas City expected to welcome thousands of international visitors as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Visit KC is already working to showcase the best of the region and invest in resources that will continue to drive global interest in the destination well past this history-making event.

“We’re in the midst of a transformational period for tourism and hospitality here in Kansas City,” said Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of Visit KC. “The spotlight on Kansas City has grown to shine more brightly than ever before, and now, for millions of people across the world, the Heart of America has become a household name.”

Kansas City’s tourism also grew as a result of Visit KC’s marketing efforts. In 2023, the organization’s paid marketing campaigns delivered a record return on investment of $135 spent in the community for every dollar spent on advertising, driving $215 million in incremental spending by visitors.

On Tuesday, Visit KC also presented the Kansas City Tourism Icon Award, recognizing those who have made significant contributions to the city’s tourism industry. This year, the Kansas City Aviation Department received the award for the agency’s outstanding work opening the Kansas City International Airport’s new single terminal.

Travelers arriving to and departing from the Heart of America are now met with upgraded technology, local restaurants and amenities, world-class art, and modern conveniences.