Pikes Peak Region Welcomed 25.5M Visitors in 2024

Data shows visitation and spending both increased over 2023

June 6, 2025 – Colorado Springs, Colo. – Today, Visit Colorado Springs released findings from the 2024 Longwoods International Travel USA Visitor Profile study, which showed visitation and spending both increased over 2023 – visitation by 2.7% and spending by 5.2%.

Total visitation was 25.5 million in 2024, up from 24.8 million in 2023, and total spending was $3.1 billion, up from $2.9 billion in 2023. This marks the fourth consecutive year of increase over the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

“Our industry has gone through some of its hardest challenges over the last five years through the pandemic and recovery, but it has proven how vital tourism’s impact is to this community,” said Doug Price, President & CEO of Visit Colorado Springs. “It’s encouraging that the economic impact visitors bring continues to grow as our destination is recognized as a great place to live, work, play and explore.”

Key findings and analysis from the Longwoods research include:

73% of overnight travelers were repeat visitors, with 53% having visited before within the last 12 months.
33% of overnight travelers noted the main purpose of their trip was visiting friends and family – the next highest purposes were touring (15%) and outdoors (14%).
Travelers coming from in-state within Colorado decreased by 9 percentage points, but overall visitation went up; this indicates that marketing efforts were successful to increase out-of-state travelers who will stay longer as opposed to nearby day-trippers.
The percentage of visitation among the seasons are – Spring (March-May) 26%, Summer (June-August) 30%, Fall (September-November 24% and Winter (December-February) 20%.
The average length of stay in the Pikes Peak Region increased from 2.2 nights in 2023 to 2.7 nights in 2024.
27% of travel parties had a member that required accessibility services, compared to the U.S. norm of 18%.
Activities visitors engaged in during their trips were all higher than the U.S. norm. 68% of visitors did outdoor activities (vs 49% U.S. norm), 70% entertainment activities (vs 62% U.S. norm), 50% cultural activities (vs 31% U.S. norm), 35% sporting activities (vs 23% U.S. norm) and 25% business activities (vs 17% U.S. norm).
66% of overnight travelers were very satisfied with their overall trip, an increase over 2023.

“Of the 2024 findings, it is perhaps most exciting to see annual spending increase at a higher rate than visitation numbers,” said Alexea Veneracion, Director of Communications at Visit Colorado Springs. “A long-term goal of ours is to increase the length of stay and money spent at our local businesses rather than purely increasing the amount of foot traffic through our destination. This ties into our sustainability efforts and our desire to keep Colorado Springs a beautiful place to visit for years to come.”

VCOS continues to dedicate concerted efforts towards sustainability and being responsible stewards of Colorado Springs. Longer trips mean more money spent at our local businesses and attractions, and the opportunity to spread out around the region, reducing the impact on heavily trafficked trails and parks. In recent years, the organization has encouraged visitors to extend the length of their stay in order to fully experience what the Pikes Peak Region has to offer.

The Longwoods Travel USA Visitor Profile survey is valuable to VCOS because it helps the organization better understand domestic visitors to Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region. The results reveal travel and behavior trends over time and help the team track performance against goals in the Destination Master Plan. The information also improves the organization’s understanding of how the destination compares to U.S. norms. VCOS uses the information to make informed marketing, advertising and organizational decisions for future promotional campaigns as well as communication and advocacy efforts.

To learn more about the impact of tourism in the Pikes Peak Region, go to VisitCOS.com.

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About Longwoods International
Established in 1978 as a market research consultancy, Longwoods International has grown into a respected leader within the travel and tourism industry. With offices in Toronto, Ohio, Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin, Longwoods conducts strategic market research for public- and private-sector clients throughout North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim.

About Visit Colorado Springs
Visit Colorado Springs is the leading marketing organization for group and leisure travel and tourism to the Colorado Springs – Olympic City USA and the Pikes Peak Region. The organization is dedicated to a strong national and international presence so that tourism is a primary contributor to a thriving local economy. We create economic vitality through memorable visits to the wonders of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region.

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