Kansas City welcomed a record number of visitors last year, who brought with them a record amount of spending in the region. According to VisitKC, more than 28 million people came to the city in 2023, a nearly 5% increase from 2022. Those visitors spent about $4 billion during their trips.
Major events and famous visitors may have driven tourism to the city, as did conferences and business travelers. The city’s next focus is retaining the record number of tourists — and encouraging them to live here.
This year, Kansas City was ranked by both the New York Times and Travel Leisure as a top global travel destination. Both publications noted the Current’s new CPKC stadium — the first in the world built specifically for women’s pro sports. The Times lauded the newly opened Rabbit hOle museum and KC Wheel as must-do entertainment options.
The city’s been getting recognition for its food scene, too.
Yoli Tortilleria won a James Beard Award for "Outstanding Bakery" in 2023 — the first tortilla bakery nominated for any award. Kitty’s Cafe and Baba’s Pantry were listed as some of America’s best restaurants by the New York Times and Bon Appetit, respectively. And this year, seven Kansas City area restaurants and bars were James Beard Award semifinalists.
Huge musical tours like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift brought tens of thousands of visitors to town. Mayor Quinton Lucas believes those stadium shows — plus the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run, drew millions of eyes to Kansas City. He says the city is selling a brand that encourages people to explore other places after their visits for big ticket items.
“We're not just sharing that Arrowhead Stadium is cool, which it is, but it's also saying you can stay around in Kansas City and throughout the region and go to The Rabbit hOle or one of our local breweries and walk around the crossroads,” Lucas said. “Those are the things that I think are helping us make a difference long term in Kansas City.”
Mackenzie Wolters, a spokesperson for VisitKC, said the agency can’t pinpoint exactly why every person came to the city. But major headlines like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship, the Chiefs’ Super Bowl wins and the Current’s CPKC stadium opening certainly raised the city’s profile.
“I think those are things that are attracting the attention, maybe getting people thinking and talking about Kansas City,” Wolters said. “Then as they dive in deeper, they start to realize that there's a lot more going on here. There's a whole extra layer of culture of Midwest hospitality that you experience when you're here in Kansas City. Those are things that you just can't find in other parts of the country.”
Of the 28 million visitors, about 13 million stayed overnight. That resulted in nearly $3 billion in spending, according to VisitKC.
Kansas City Airport’s new terminal, which began welcoming travelers in February of last year, was recently ranked third among large airports in customer satisfaction, according to J.D. Power. This summer, the airport broke its all-time passenger record two months in a row.
It’s not just leisure travel that’s driving the city’s tourism boom. More than 100,000 people came to Kansas City for businesses and about 52,000 came for a combination of business and leisure. Business travel is also year-round in the area, according to Wolters, which helps boost the city’s hospitality industry during the offseason.
The region’s biggest markets are nearby cities like Chicago, Denver, Dallas, St. Louis and Memphis — VisitKC spends the most advertising in the first three areas. But the agency has been making a big effort to court international travelers through advertising in the United Kingdom and Germany.
In 2023, VisitKC had an advertising budget of about $1.9 million, which included extra funds for the Super Bowl and 2023 NFL Draft.
Those efforts are paying off. International visitors to Kansas City spent nearly $40 million more in 2023 than they did the year before. Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to arrive in Kansas City for the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
Wolters said some visitors are already coming to the area because of the event. She expects people to visit Kansas City long after the World Cup once they see all that the region has to offer.
To make sure Kansas City captures the moment and ensure residents and newcomers who move to the area see a lasting benefit, Lucas said the City Council is working to increase affordable housing, foster small businesses, and expand public transportation and public safety.
City officials are also trying to address wave of property and violent crime in multiple communities across the city — including its tourism destinations. The city has seen a more than 6% growth in the population in the past few years.
“If a city is smart, it's actually planning for what happens after the World Cup,” Lucas said.
Lucas hopes the event will be the city’s major introduction on the world stage. He wants to elevate the city’s reputation, like Atlanta after the 1996 Olympics, and break more tourism records.
“Welcome to Kansas City,” Lucas said. “Stick around, invest, come back, know this is one incredibly cool city that we want you to never forget about.”
