Cedar Rapids sees increase in tourism expenditures

Visitor spending in the Cedar Rapids area remained strong in 2010, with the dollars spent by visitors increasing 10 percent over 2009 to $619.6 million, 9.4 percent of the entire state's expenditures.

Linn County ranks second only to Polk County in domestic travel spending, according to the Economic Impact of Travel Study released last week by the Iowa Economic Development Authority's Iowa Tourism Office. Payroll income and jobs directly attributed to domestic travel spending totaled $111.8 million and nearly 5,800 jobs. State tax generated from visitors to Linn County totaled $26.93 million and local tax $9.88 million.

“The increase in expenditures is great news for the Cedar Rapids area. Visitors are imported taxpayers that make our city and tax base larger so residents don't have to pay as much tax,” said Marilee Fowler, CEO of the Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CRACVB).

Cedar Rapids area travel expenditures were driven partly by conventions and sports events secured by the CRACVB. In 2010, these events included the US Figure Skating Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships, NCAA D III Wrestling Championships, Sweet Adelines MidAmerica Annual Competition and Conference, National Horseshoe Pitches Association World Tournament, and the CORVAIR Society of America International Convention.

In Fiscal Year 2011, the CRACVB was directly responsible for booking and servicing 81 conventions, meetings, group tours and events resulting in more than 117,691 visitors to the area. These visitors spent more than $13.3 million in the local economy. For every dollar of hotel/motel tax the CRACVB invested in tourism sales and marketing initiatives in FY11, the return on investment was $19.64 of direct spending in the community.

Across Iowa tourism generates more than $6 billion in expenditures, employs 62,000 people statewide and generates $321 million in state taxes.