VisitPITTSBURGH Celebrates 90 Years of Tourism Leadership at 2025 Annual Meeting with Record Year of Traveler Spending & Visitation

March 31, 2025

(PITTSBURGH, PA) – VisitPITTSBURGH proudly celebrated its 90th anniversary and another year of remarkable growth for the region’s tourism sector at the 2025 VisitPITTSBURGH Annual Meeting, held today at America’s #1 History Museum, the Senator John Heinz History Center. With a theme of “Bridging Tradition with Tomorrow,” the event reflected on nearly a century of tourism stewardship, while looking ahead to an even brighter future well underway for Allegheny County tourism.

Joined by more than 400 industry professionals, VisitPITTSBURGH announced that the local tourism industry continued its year-over-year upward trajectory, generating an estimated $6.8 billion in economic impact in 2024.

Year-over-year growth was also celebrated across major pillars within the industry, including a 3.6% increase in visitors; 3.8% nominal increase in state and local taxes generated; and a 3.8% nominal increase in labor income across the industry’s 42,600 tourism-supported jobs.

“This milestone year is a testament to the strength, innovation and collaboration found across Pittsburgh’s tourism sector,” said Jerad Bachar, President & CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “For 90 years, VisitPITTSBURGH has been at the forefront of championing the region—alongside our network of nearly 650 partners—and as we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission to foster sustainable growth, drive economic impact and create unforgettable experiences for residents and visitors alike.”

Additional key metrics shared at today’s meeting include:

• VisitPITTSBURGH’s Business Events Sales team and SportsPITTSBURGH booked 269 events in 2024 for an estimated 347,000 hotel room nights and $321.2 million in anticipated direct visitor spending.
• VisitPITTSBURGH’s Leisure Marketing & Communications teams generated 270 million digital campaign exposures, 2.8 million engaged website sessions and 7.9 billion earned media impressions.

For the David L. Lawrence Convention Center:

• VisitPITTSBURGH’s Business Events Sales team and SportsPITTSBURGH booked 47 events for 2024 and beyond, resulting in an expected $165.3 million in direct visitor spending with 193,100 hotel room nights.
• A total of 229 VisitPITTSBURGH and SportsPITTSBURGH-generated events were held in 2024, generating $259 million in direct visitor spending and 267,700 hotel room nights.

As VisitPITTSBURGH enters its 10th decade, the organization is leading the charge—in partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers, state, county and city—on the largest event hosted in Pittsburgh history—the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Annual Meeting concluded with a panel discussion among VisitPITTSBURGH, the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers and local logistics partner P3R, on how the event stands to change the trajectory for Pittsburgh. From a platform of 50 million viewers worldwide to significant, legacy programs that stand to enhance local businesses, sustainability practices and youth sports, the impact of the NFL Draft will be felt far and wide and will serve as a catalyst for the city for decades to come.

“Pittsburgh is a city built on resilience, reinvention and collaboration,” added Bachar. “As we celebrate our rich history, we’re equally excited about what lies ahead. The next chapter of Pittsburgh’s tourism story is only just beginning.”

According to the latest Tourism Economics’ baseline forecast, visitor spending is expected to continue to climb to $7 billion in 2025. Additionally, preliminary forecasts show the local tourism sector anticipating a gain of nearly 1,100 jobs with more than 43,700 total jobs expected by year-end.

For photos of today’s event, click here. To access VisitPITTSBURGH’s full 2024 Annual Report, click here. For more on travel to Pittsburgh, visit VisitPITTSBURGH.com.