Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts is making up for lost time when it comes to tourism.
The Advisory Commission on Travel & Tourism, which advises the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership on marketing strategies, recently released its 2024 annual report to the state legislature.
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According to the report, Massachusetts welcomed 28.3 million total visitors in 2024—a whopping 94 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
The state also generated $24.8 billion in direct tourism spending and $1.7 billion in state and local tax revenue, while tourism supported 153,000 jobs statewide, the report said.
The report said cultural and heritage tourism remained a strong attraction for visitors to the Bay State in 2024, especially in Boston, Plymouth, Salem, and the Berkshires.
Educational tourism also showed strong recovery thanks to Massachusetts' many prestigious institutions, but the report said that sector is "currently at risk due to political headwinds." The Trump Administration has taken aim at several colleges and universities this year for not aligning with federal policy, including pulling billions in federal funding from Harvard University over the school's alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus.
The report added that business travel rebounded to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels, while outdoor recreation continues to grow in places like Cape Cod, the Islands, and Western Massachusetts, and culinary tourism is emerging as a significant attraction for all regions of the state.