Tourism

Millions of people from around the world visit Gettysburg and Adams County each year for its rich Civil War history, breathtaking countryside, outdoor recreation, family fun and the dozens of national events taking place in all corners of the region. 

Economic Impact of Tourism - Gettysburg and Adams County, Pa.

Annual Visitation 

Gettysburg National Military Park 1 million 

Adams County 3.7 million

Visitor Demographics*

Average length of trip 2 days

Percentage of International Visitors 3.2%

Average age 52 years

Average spent on trip $540.45

Visitors spent $691.2 million in 2016.

55.7 percent of visitors spend the night on a trip to Adams County, with 42 percent staying more than one night. 23.9 percent of those visitors are spending three nights or more.

60 percent of Adams County visitors are repeat visitors, meaning they’ve traveled to the destination before.

7,850 jobs supported by tourism in Adams County

$810 average amount in taxes each resident benefits from tourism

85.6 percent of visitors are here for leisure, meaning that the Gettysburg area is part of a family vacation.

*Research conducted by California University of Pennsylvania’s Tourism Studies program

Rooms in Adams County

Hotels and Motels 2,349

Inns and Guest Houses 319

Campground Tent/RV Sites 1,867

Campground Cabins 141

Marketing

Destination Gettysburg spends 80 percent of its budget on marketing the destination to visitors. Its marketing efforts include a website (www.destinationgettysburg.com) that receives more than three million page views annually, a visitors guide that is distributed to over 300,000 people, along with media, social media and sales efforts.

Adams County’s Lodging Tax

Current Rate: 5 percent

Distribution: Adams County receives the first 4.5% as an administrative fee. The remainder is then split between the county government (12.5%), qualifying local municipalities (12.5%) and Destination Gettysburg (75%). Qualifying municipalities are those that have both lodging properties and a full-time police department.

Amount Collected in 2018: $2,566,314

In 2018, Destination Gettysburg received a total of $1,853,189. The Adams County government received $408,178 and $308,865 was distributed to qualifying municipalities.

Note: Adams County’s lodging tax was created by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 2001 and updated in 2012.

Amusement Tax

In Adams County, the Amusement Tax is levied on museums, attractions, campsites and tours in numerous municipalities. In many cases, this tax is split between the local government and the local school district. This tax, similar to the lodging tax, is heavily supported by tourism and the more than 3 million visitors to Adams County.

Information courtesy of Destination Gettysburg