Discover Lancaster reports $3.61 billion tourism impact with new offerings

Discover Lancaster’s 2025 tourism report reveals a $3.61 billion economic impact and highlights new 2026 visitor experiences boosting the regional market.

In recognition of National Travel & Tourism Week, Discover Lancaster released its 2025 Tourism Economic Report, which showed that the destination largely retained the significant post-pandemic gains of the past few years.

“Overall, Lancaster County tourism held its own in 2025 – achieving small gains in four of the five primary metrics in the report, despite some economic uncertainty at different points during the year,” Jeffrey Vasser, the organization’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

Conducted by analysis firm Tourism Economics, the report showed that while visitation receded slightly from approximately 10.2 million to 10 million, visitor spending rose by nearly half a percent, to $2.74 billion, which translates to $7.5 million dollars in spending every day.

The effect of this increased spending throughout the community contributed to the industry’s total economic impact rising by seven tenths of a percent, to $3.61 billion. Additional visitor spending also produced a nominal gain in tourism-related employment, providing work for 26,436 people.

In addition, the $254 million in state and local tax revenue generated by the industry saved every Lancaster County household from paying an additional $1,196 annually in such taxes to maintain current services.

Lancaster County tourism looks to build on these gains this year, owing to the area’s driveable location, relative good value overall, between-game travel opportunities during the FIFA World Cup in Philadelphia & northern New Jersey, and the debut of new visitor offerings.

Thus far in 2026, the destination has seen a rise in lodging demand of 2.4% compared to the same time last year, and an increase in lodging revenue of 4.7%. Also strong is web traffic, with sessions up 17.3% year-to-date over 2025, and 20% more web users.

New additions this year include:

• The just-opened Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smih Center for History and Democracy and its stories of striving for freedom and opportunity for all.

• The debut of the show “Joshua” at Sight & Sound Theatres during its 50^th anniversary year.

• Celebrating America’s 250^th at the county’s historic sites and heritage tours, including events and activities at Revolutionary-era Historic Rock Ford and by using Discover Lancaster’s special commemorative passport booklet to collect custom stamps at many of these stops.

• New lodging at the refurbished & re-themed Dutch Wonderland Inn, as well as later this year at the Hampton by Hilton at the Chip Factor (with a first-floor restaurant & rooftop lounge) in Columbia or the Swan Hotel (with 11 luxury rooms) in Lancaster City.

• The 15th anniversary of two of the city’s creative venues – the productions of Prima Theatre and the Ware Center for the Arts.