Almost 26 million tourists visited Philadelphia last year: The state expects even better numbers in 2026

Last year, millions of tourists visited Philadelphia, increasing demand for hotels and generating an economic impact of $6.6 billion. Although the numbers were better compared to 2022, the city is still struggling to bring back pre-pandemic tourism revenue four years after the start of COVID-19.

In 2023, Philadelphia welcomed 25.8 million tourists, up 7% from 2022. Visitors spent 10% more than in the previous year, and hotel occupancy increased by 7%. The number of hospitality-related jobs also increased to 77,200, up 10% year-on-year. And state and local governments received 15% more tax revenues, totaling $387 million, the Philly Voice reports.

The picture gets even better when you consider Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The total number of visitors in the entire Philadelphia region was 42.9 million, and the economic impact was $12.4 billion. However, almost all of these numbers are still below the statistics from 2019 when the region reported a record 10th consecutive year of growth.

Tourism industry leaders are pinning a lot of hopes on upcoming events like WrestleMania XL. The city expects 200,000 people to visit Philadelphia for the WWE tournament, which will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in April. On the first day of sales, the event sold more than 90,000 tickets, an all-time record.

Expectations for 2026 are even higher. That year, Philadelphia will host six World Cup games, the MLB All-Star Game, and the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament.

Earlier, TravelWise told you about 6 stunning places that can only be reached by private jets.