Tourism in Adams County, Pa.

Tourism is the top industry in Adams County, Pa. Annually, visitors to Gettysburg support thousands of employees, hundreds of businesses and contributes more than $100 million in local, state and federal taxes.

Visitation *

3 million

Spending **

381.1 million

Tourism Employment **

5,835 workers

Tax Revenue **

104.2 million

*Visitor Intercept Survey by California University of Pennsylvania, 2010
** Economic Impact of Tourism Report by Tourism Economics, 2009

Gettysburg and Adams County attracts most of its visitors from the Mid-Atlantic region - in particular, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York. However, the destination remains one of the most visited historic sites in the United States and attracts visitors from around the United States and the world.

Adams County also experiences a high amount of repeat visitors. California University of Pennsylvania's 2010 intercept study showed that 56 percent of visitors have been to Gettysburg before. In fact, a high percentage of those repeat visitors have been to Gettysburg 6 or more times previously.

The average length of stay for those interviewed is 1.25 nights. While some visitors stay only the day in Adams County, a significant portion of the destination's annual visitors are staying between one and two nights. Nearly 10 percent are staying three nights or more.

Gettysburg continues to be a popular leisure travel destination, both for individuals and families and groups. The meeting and convention industry is growing in Adams County, but remains a small percentage of the annual visitation. On the other hand, Gettysburg attracts about 15,000 groups to Gettysburg annually, making it one of the top group travel destinations in the United States.