SPOKANE, WA – Spokane recently experienced its biggest year for tourism, drawing over 10 million visitors in 2024. Assim Zack, social media manager at Kasa Restaurant & Taphouse, shared that the influx of tourists has brought a new energy to the city.
“We’ve had people come as far as New York,” Zack said. “I’ve even had people travel for convention centers all the way from London, Australia. We have people all over the world that come to Spokane.”
Zack works at Kasa Restaurant & Taphouse, located next to the Spokane Arena—a hotspot for out-of-towners. The 2024 tourism surge generated $1.53 billion in spending, benefiting local businesses and creating jobs.
“It’s honestly a blessing seeing a lot of faces that aren’t from Washington or the Pacific Northwest in general kind of show up and appreciate what we have here,” Zack added.
Visitor spending also brought $233 million in state and local taxes, easing financial pressure on Spokane families. Spokane County Commissioner Josh Kerns emphasized the importance of this revenue.
“That’s $233 million that are going to be spent here across our state—in our community,” Kerns stated. “That won’t be coming out of the pockets of our local residents here in Spokane.”
The tourism success has not only kept businesses thriving but also turned many first-time visitors into lifelong fans of Spokane.
