St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau reports record-breaking tourism dollars spent

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) reported a record-breaking $237.5 million in tourism dollars spent in 2024.

The previous year, the CVB made $229.8 million the previous year. These dollars support more than 4,000 tourism-related jobs, making up one in every 14 jobs in the county.

While hotel bookings saw a slight decrease from 2023, hotel revenue climbed to $23.7 million, thanks in part to a rising average daily rate of $128.82.

Strategic marketing remains the CVB's top priority, accounting for 87% of its total budget. Digital marketing efforts yielded nearly 20 million impressions and over 211,000 ad clicks in 2024.

Website traffic also continues to climb, with the top five cities viewing St. Joseph tourism content being: Kansas City, Chicago, Il., St. Louis and Dallas, Tx.

The CVB also announced $167,000 in new cooperative marketing grants to support 501(c)(3) tourism-related organizations in 2025, bringing the total investment in these efforts to $2.5 million over the life of the program.

Key focus areas continue to include convention marketing, sports tourism, group tours, leisure travel and local education efforts, such as the "Show Me St. Jo!" initiative.