As Jim Thorpe gets ready to welcome visitors for the annual fall foliage festival, Pennsylvania has released figures about the revenue tourism generates.

Visitors to Carbon County spent $602.7 million last year, supporting more than 3,200 direct jobs and generating nearly $52 million in state and local taxes, according to a state report that was recently released.

The figures come from the 2025 Economic Impact of Visitors to Pennsylvania, produced by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. The report was unveiled this week by Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger.

“Since taking office, the Shapiro administration has focused on making Pennsylvania a top destination for visitors from around the world, and this new report reinforces that we are truly The Great American Getaway,” Siger said.

Siger said the state has created the first economic development strategy in two decades, secured key funding for tourism initiatives and programs.

He said the state continues “to ensure the world knows that Pennsylvania has exciting and authentic experiences for every traveler.”

Carbon County is part of the Pocono Mountains tourism region, where visitors spent $5 billion overall in 2025; a 1.3% increase over the prior year. The region directly employs 26,510 people in tourism-related jobs, accounting for 37.4% of all employment and payroll in the Pocono Mountains economy, according to the report.

Visitor spending in Carbon County generated $887.1 million in total business sales when including the ripple effects on suppliers and workers. The county’s visitor economy supported 4,866 total jobs when accounting for those indirect and induced impacts, and generated $195.6 million in total personal income.

Transportation led all spending categories in Carbon County at $157.9 million, followed by recreation at $145.1 million, food and beverage at $130.4 million, retail at $88.4 million and lodging at $80.9 million.

Pennsylvania as a whole welcomed 206.2 million visitors in 2025 who spent $51.6 billion — a 3.5% increase over 2024. Tourism activity generated $87.2 billion in total economic impact, sustained 521,021 jobs and produced $5.2 billion in state and local taxes.

Statewide visitor spending

The report found that visitor spending statewide supported about 1 in 16 jobs in Pennsylvania and accounted for 6.3% of all jobs in the commonwealth. Each Pennsylvania household would need to pay an additional $984 in taxes to replace the visitor-generated revenue that flowed to state and local governments in 2025. Visitors spent $141.4 million per day, on average, across the state.

Anne Ryan, DCED deputy secretary of tourism, said the growth reflects a deliberate strategy.

“More people are choosing Pennsylvania, they’re staying longer, spending more, and supporting the small businesses and communities that make this commonwealth such an incredible place to visit,” Ryan said. “That growth doesn’t happen by accident. We’ve been intentional about telling a bigger, bolder story about Pennsylvania and giving travelers new reasons to take a trip here.”

The Pocono Mountains region, which includes Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties, saw direct tourism employment rise 1.1% in 2025, an increase of 298 jobs. Monroe County remained the region’s tourism anchor, with $2.77 billion in visitor spending and 13,593 direct jobs.

Statewide, recreation and food and beverage spending posted the largest gains in 2025, rising 5.7% and 5.5% respectively. International visitor spending declined 1.7% year over year, while domestic travelers, who account for 95.8% of all visitor spending, continued to grow.

“The impact we’re seeing in communities across Pennsylvania is what matters most,” Ryan said. “And we’re just getting started.”

The 2026-27 state budget included $19.5 million in tourism marketing funding.