The number of tourists in Kansas exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 2023.
In 2023, an estimated 37.9 million people visited the state, a 4% increase from the year before, according to an August economic impact report for the Kansas Tourism Division, the state’s tourism arm under the Department of Commerce. Visitor volumes had steadily increased after a 2020 dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it wasn’t until three years later that the number of visitors reached and exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
The director of the division, Bridgette Jobe, said this is good news.
“I believe Kansas is well positioned to be attractive for new visitors,” she said via email. “Trends show that travelers want ‘authentic’ experiences, open spaces, affordability and stressless vacations. Kansas can provide all of those things.”
Those travelers spent more than $8 billion in the local economy in 2023, a nearly 5% increase from 2022, according to the report. More than half — about $4.3 billion — was spent on transportation and food and beverage sales.