2009 Economic Impact Report

ECONOMIC IMPACT
ALABAMA TRAVEL INDUSTRY 2009

April 20, 2010

Executive Summary

Analysis of state lodging tax revenues, Smith Travel Research data on hotel occupancy rates, and field intercept surveys conducted in previous years were used to estimate the economic impact of tourism on Alabama for calendar year 2009.
Based on the primary and secondary data, it is estimated that almost 21 million people visited the State of Alabama during 2009.
Travelers are estimated to have spent over $9.3 billion in Alabama. This represents a decrease of 3 percent as compared to 2008 spending.
In 2009, over $679 million of state and local tax revenues were generated by travel and tourism activities. Without those taxes, each household in Alabama would have had to pay $391 in additional taxes to maintain current service levels.
Travel industry expenditures represent 5.5 percent of Alabama’s Gross Domestic Product – overall production – in 2009.
An estimated 162,464 jobs – 8.6 percent of non-agricultural employment in Alabama – were directly or indirectly attributable to the travel and tourism industry.
The total impact of the travel and tourism industry on Alabama’s earnings in 2009 is estimated at over $3.6 billion.
Every $85,050 of travel-related expenditures creates one direct job in Alabama.
For every $1 in Alabama’s travel-related expenditures, the state retains a total of $0.39.
The most visited counties in the state were Baldwin, Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, and Montgomery, accounting for 65 percent of the total number of visitors to the state.

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Madison Street Festival
[Madison] [Oct 2, 2010]
Oct 2, Madison Madison Street Festival 256-656-0330 www.madisonstreetfestival.org. Free. Downtown Madison--Music performances, arts and crafts booths, exhibits, and special presentations that include a birds of prey show, Alabama Nature Center on Tour, a car show, and more. Children's Zone has hands-on craft stations, face painting, magic shows, and a petting zoo. Parade at 8:45 a.m. with the theme "All Aboard for the Festival. See website for directions and parking map. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
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