Following a relatively down year in 2023, Spokane's tourism sector is expected to see some growth in the coming year, although it won't come close to pre-pandemic levels, says Rose Noble, CEO of Visit Spokane.

“We’re optimistic, it’s going to be a good year, but it’s not going to be a significant increase in business compared to 2023,” she says.

The tourism industry exploded in 2022, largely due to a substantial number of rebooked events that had been canceled the two years prior because of the pandemic, Noble says.

“In 2023, we didn’t have that rebound, and the business sector, in terms of conventions and large groups, is still growing back to pre-pandemic levels," Noble says. "We’re not close to that yet, but we’re getting there.”

Regarding conventions, there are already 55 groups contracted for 2024—up slightly from this time last year—which are expected to include a total of over 35,000 attendees, Noble says. Those conventions are projected to result in nearly 50,000 contracted room nights and a $29 million economic impact.

More conventions are expected to be booked throughout 2024, Noble adds.

She expects leisure travel to increase by 2% to 3% next year, compared with 2023 volumes. 

Events centered around the 50th anniversary of Expo '74 are expected to bring in more visitors from May to July, as is the three-day Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, which is scheduled for August at the new One Spokane Stadium, in the North Bank neighborhood, Noble says.

Large staple events like Bloomsday and Hoopfest also are climbing back up to pre-pandemic attendance numbers, she says.

Over 25,000 people participated in Bloomsday in 2023, up from about 21,000 in 2022, but down from 35,000 in 2019, before the pandemic struck, data shows.

Hoopfest had over 16,000 participants signed up for 2023, up from 2022, and was expected to bring about 200,000 people to downtown Spokane and the North Bank area, the Journal previously reported. In 2019, there were about 24,000 participants, and the three-on-three basketball tournament drew about 250,000 people to the area.

Ashley Blake, CEO of Spokane Sports, says other sporting events are expected to play a major role in tourism in 2024.

So far, Spokane Sports is set to support 44 events in Spokane County next year, she says. Those events are expected to bring 117,000 attendees to the market, with the average length of stay being 3 1/2 days, Blake says.

Those events account for about 55,000 anticipated hotel room nights, she notes.

“The addition of new venues in the market provides us with new opportunities,” Blake says. “It’s a pretty diverse lineup of events, and they hit almost every pocket of Spokane County.”

The projected visitor number is up from the 2023 estimate of 113,000 visitors.

“On average, sports tourism efforts out of our office is about $100 million in direct (annual) economic impact," Blake says. “We think 2024 is going to be strong for sports as well.”

Notable events in the upcoming year include the Indoor Track & Field schedule, which features 12 meets from December to March at The Podium; the USA Volleyball Pacific Northwest Qualifier, in March and April; the 2024 USA Wrestling Women's National Championships, in April; as well as games from the first and second rounds of the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, in March.

“Sports tourism is an all-year-round effort," Blake says. "We’re bringing in over 100,000 people a year to Spokane who are spending money in our restaurants, hotels, and retail.”