Visitor spending in Adams County reached $819.3 million in 2025, the county’s highest total ever, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
The report, produced by Tourism Economics, shows an increase of 1.2 percent – or an additional $10.1 million – in visitor spending compared with 2024. Visitor spending in Adams County has climbed 30% since 2021.
Visitor spending directly supported 5,109 jobs in Adams County in 2025. Since 2021, Adams County has added 539 jobs because of visitor spending, an increase of 11.8 percent.
“These numbers emphasize the continued strength of tourism in Adams County and the important role that visitors play in supporting our local economy,” said Karl Pietrzak, President and CEO of Destination Gettysburg. “What matters most is that these dollars go to local businesses, restaurants, attractions, lodging properties, and the people who make Adams County such a special place to visit.”
Recreation in Adams County ranked first in visitor spending at $217.2 million, followed by transportation at $201.2 million. Visitors spent $173.8 million on food and beverage, $136.6 million on retail, and $90.4 million on lodging. Recreation made up a larger share of spending in Adams County (26.5 percent) than across the state (20 percent).
Including indirect and induced effects, such as suppliers serving tourism businesses and employees spending their wages locally, Adams County’s visitor economy generated $1.26 billion in total business sales. It also supported 7,769 total jobs and $343.8 million in personal income. Tourism generated $74.9 million in state and local tax revenue and $78.9 million in federal taxes, for nearly $154 million in total tax revenue.
“When we talk about the value of tourism, these numbers really tell the story,” Pietrzak said. “Supporting jobs, generating business sales, and contributing tax revenue are benefits that extend well beyond the visitor economy to our communities and our residents.”
Adams County ranked sixth among nine Dutch Country Roads counties in visitor spending in 2025 and represented approximately 8 percent of the region’s $10.4 billion total. Dutch Country Roads counties accounted for 20.1 percent of the state’s visitor spending in 2025, trailing only Philadelphia and its Countryside (21.8 percent).
