HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The 2022 Alabama Tourism Economic Report, just released by the Alabama Tourism Department, estimated that the economic impact of visitors in Madison County exceeded $2.1 billion.This figure represents a nearly 20% increase over 2021. The 3.9 million visitors in 2022 is a 5.3% increase over 2021, which was the previous record.
"First of all, we're thrilled that Huntsville, Madison County hosted over 3.9 million visitors in 2022," CVB Executive Vice President Charles Winters shares, "The folks who came and stayed here, they spent more money while they were here. Maybe they stayed in a nicer hotel, went to more of the attractions. They probably had a little bit more money to spend and that showed up in tax receipts."
The number of jobs related to travel and tourism in Madison County in 2022 jumped to more than 22,000, an increase of more than 1,000 compared to 2021 estimates.
"We're seeing growth on Redstone Arsenal; the FBI is continuing their relocation here. We're seeing the Mazada Toyota manufacturing facility up there at or near full employment capacity," Winters shares, "So, Polaris is here. A lot of different employers and industries. We're very fortunate to have lots of different industries, a diversity of industries. So that does bring in people and that will impact the number of visitors we have as well."
As a result of the visitor expenditures, every household in Madison County saved more than $1,200 in taxes in 2022.
"Tourism and travel is so important to our quality of life and to our citizens," Winters explains, "Because of the number of people who came last year and as a result of what they spent, each and every household in Madison County saved over 1200 dollars in taxes. So when people say, what does travel and tourism mean to me, it's 1200 dollars per household here in Madison County from last year."
Madison County was the second most visited county in Alabama in 2022, behind Baldwin County, which includes the beachfront destinations of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
"In a lot of people's minds is the U.S. Space and Rocket, home of Space Camp. They bring in millions of people over the years. They're a real economic boost for the community," Winter shares. "The Botanical Garden, Huntsville Botanical Garden also brings in thousands and thousands of individuals each and every year. The Orion Amphitheater has only been open a little over a year, so we're seeing some great patronage for that facility and other music facilities in the community. So, there's a lot of people coming to Huntsville and a lot of reason too, including Trash Pandas. qnd now this year, the Huntsville City Football Club."
Tourism also had a major impact on the hospitality industry.
"It is significant that there are 22,000 jobs that are directly and indirectly tied to the hospitality and travel and tourism industry just right here in Madison County," Winter shares. "So, for those of us who are maybe looking for employment, there's a lot of opportunity in the service industry for hotels, motels, restaurants, attractions and the like.
The full report is available on the Alabama Tourism Department website.