DECATUR – The Alabama Tourism Department recently released statewide travel and tourism economic impact data for 2020 and the report showed that travelers spent $239 million and were responsible for 2,557 jobs last year in Morgan County. That figure represents a 14 percent decrease in traveler spending on hotels, restaurants, shopping and transportation. Annual state lodging taxes collected in Morgan County in 2020 reached nearly $1.2 million, down 14 percent from 2019.
“While lodging tax collection was down last year due to the public health emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to see that the figure broke the million dollar mark for the fourth consecutive year,” said Decatur Morgan County Tourism President/CEO Danielle Gibson.
In 2020, travel-related total expenditures in Morgan County reached $239,128,149, down from $278 million in 2019, representing a 14 percent decrease versus a nationwide average drop of 42 percent, according to Travel Economics. Lodging tax collection broke the million-dollar mark for the fourth consecutive year in Morgan County in 2020, reaching $1,199,977, down 14 percent from 2019 ($1,397,427). Morgan County experienced a dip in travel-related earnings from $74,234,745 in 2019, to $62,898,844 in 2020. Last year, 2,557 individuals were employed directly and indirectly in the tourism industry.
Danielle Gibson
“In an unprecedented year, we are so proud of our tourism partners and the partnerships formed to help make the effects of the pandemic minimal on our local economy. The figures are somewhat hard to accept especially after 2019 was a record year for our visitor economy. However, the tourism and travel industry is a resilient industry and I am confident as we emerge from the pandemic, our partners, residents and members of the tourism community will enthusiastically welcome visitors back to help this industry reach record levels again,” stated Gibson.
Alabama’s travel industry survived the pandemic better than 45 other states due to robust spending by tourists at Alabama beaches. The state ranked in the top five in the nation for the smallest percentage drop in travel expenditures during the international pandemic, according to Alabama Tourism Department director Lee Sentell.
The tourism and travel industry generates millions of dollars for state and local government each year. It is estimated that more than 22.5 million people visited the State of Alabama during 2020. These travelers are estimated to have spent $13.4 billion, representing a decrease of 20 percent as compared to 2019 spending. In 2020, more than $800 million of state and local tax revenues were generated by travel and tourism activities. Without those taxes, each household in Alabama would have had to pay $427 in additional taxes to maintain current service levels. Last year an estimated 165,230 jobs were directly or indirectly attributable to the travel and tourism industry in Alabama.
Economic impact analysis was performed using a model developed by Dr. Keivan Deravi, president of Economics Research Services, Inc., an Alabama based consulting firm, and a retired professor of economics. This model, designed for the Alabama Tourism Department and the State of Alabama, uses Alabama industry multipliers developed by the Regional Input-Output Modeling System, United States Department of Commerce, Economic and Statistical Division, Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Regional Economic Analysis Division. Data collection and report compilation was done by Alabama Tourism Department staff member Pam Smith.
The purpose of the study is to estimate the economic impact of the travel and tourism industry in Alabama for 2020 and includes information on the number of jobs attributed to tourism, spending and revenue figures and the most visited counties. Information sources used to prepare this report included primary data, detailed monthly lodging tax data, copies of previously commissioned economic impact studies and other relevant information and publications.
For the complete report, go to https://tourism.alabama.gov/
For more information on Morgan County tourism figures, contact Gibson at 800.524.6181 or 256.350.2028.
Media Release/ Danielle Gibson, President & CEO
Decatur Morgan County Tourism, Inc.
