By 1808Delaware
Columbus has cemented its place as one of the nation’s fastest-growing destinations. The 2025 State of the Visitor Industry: Mid-Year Report, released recently by Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, shows that the city’s travel economy is setting records across nearly every metric.
Experience Columbus, which markets the Columbus region including Delaware County, credits both strong marketing campaigns and a robust calendar of major events for the growth.
Marketing That’s Making an Impact
The Yes, Columbus campaign, launched last year, continues to pay off in a big way. This spring alone, Experience Columbus’ targeted marketing generated more than 37 million impressions. The return on investment is striking: for every $1 spent on paid media, hotels saw $32 in revenue between January and June.
Summer’s campaign, which rolled out with even more energy, has already drawn over 35 million impressions in just a month. Beyond digital ads, the Yes, Columbus brand is reaching audiences through podcasts and a live concert series at The Junto Hotel, produced in partnership with iHeart Media.
Major Events Driving Visitor Spending
From January 1 to June 30, Columbus hosted 236 conventions, trade shows, and sporting events. February was especially memorable, when the city welcomed both the NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium and the Arnold Sports Festival at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Together, those two events alone generated nearly $40 million in direct visitor spending.
Other high-profile gatherings in the second quarter included:
- Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, which drew students from 60 countries.
- The National Head Start Association conference, bringing 2,700 attendees and $2.4 million in direct spending.
- The Associated General Contractors of America convention, with 2,500 attendees and $2.8 million in direct spending.
Hotels and Bed Tax Collections on the Rise
The STR report, which benchmarks hotel performance nationwide, shows strong year-to-date gains for Columbus compared to 2024:
- Occupancy: 63.3% (up 2.9%, compared to 60.4% in the competitive set)
- Average Daily Rate: $124.89 (up 3.4%)
- RevPAR: $79.07 (up 6.4%)
These improvements helped bed tax collections soar to $25.9 million through June 30, a 14% jump from last year, according to the Columbus City Auditor’s office.
Sports and a Push for Women’s Athletics
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission noted strong activity from youth tournaments to NCAA championships. So far in 2025, the city has hosted early rounds of Division I Women’s Golf, Division I Men’s Lacrosse, and the Men’s Volleyball Championship.
President and CEO Linda Logan highlighted a broader vision: “We also continued to work with the City of Columbus on Mayor Ginther and First Lady Shannon Ginther’s ambition to make Columbus the nation’s capital of women’s sports.”
Looking Ahead
The second half of 2025 promises even more reasons to visit. In October, Experience Columbus will roll out the Get Goosebumps in Columbus campaign, complete with a special R.L. Stine author talk at the Columbus Metropolitan Library on October 23. The holiday season will follow with a campaign showcasing festive events across the city’s neighborhoods.
Experience Columbus President and CEO Brian Ross summed up the momentum: “New research shows that visitors made more than 53 million trips to Greater Columbus in 2024 — the largest increase in our history. We look forward to seeing continued growth for the rest of 2025 and the direct positive impact it will have on our community.”
Source: Experience Columbus; Image by Anton Porsche from Pixabay
