CLEVELAND, Ohio — With the dawn of a new year comes one of the most stacked lineups of events and activities in Greater Cleveland’s recent history; 2024 appears to be one of the biggest years for the city’s travel and tourism industry, and the region is bracing for an influx of visitors.
Monday, the city was already welcoming some tourists to town.
“[I had] a couple weeks off and my friend from Ohio is here from Columbus and we thought we would check out this lovely city,” said Simon Murray, who was visiting from Toronto.
The group was starting their day at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, while also relishing in a recent win at the nearby Cleveland Browns stadium.
“The Browns just clinched a playoff spot so I feel some residual energy in the city. So I had to come see the stadium,” said John Friday, who now lives in California and returned to meet his friend Murray after the holiday.
The first visitors of 2024 are just the start of what promises to be a popular year for travel to Cleveland. In fact, Travel & Leisure Magazine listed Cleveland as one of the best places in the world to visit in 2024.
“It’s a big year from an events perspective, probably the biggest year since we hosted the RNC in 2016. So there’s that level of excitement,” explained Emily Lauer, the vice president of public relations at Destination Cleveland. “Instead of one big event over a week in July, we have four or five major events that will keep Cleveland on the national and international map.”
In early April, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will host the women’s NCAA basketball final four tournament, bringing athletes and spectators to town for a long weekend.
The day after the championship game, Cleveland skies will turn dark for nearly four minutes during a total solar eclipse. The number of visitors to the path of totality will likely depend on the weather and other factors, but other similar communities have reported tens of thousands of out-of-towners flocking to see the historic event.
“On that same day is the Guardians’ home opener. So it’ll be a very busy day downtown,” Lauer said.
In July, an estimated 20,000-25,000 people are expected to attend the Pan-American Masters Games at venues in and around the city. The 10-day event will bring athletes from more than 50 countries to town to compete in nearly 30 different sports. It could pump around $25 million in direct spending into the local economy.
The following month, about 5,000 people will attend the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Convention. While not widely known to the general public, simply put the event is the convention of convention planners, many of whom will have the influence to send future large meetings and conferences to Cleveland.
“We get to show off Cleveland in a newly renovated Huntington Convention Center,” said Lauer.
In the fall, Cleveland will show off on the world’s stage when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony returns to town.
Lauer said some hotels are already booking up ahead of 2024's major events. She explained the hospitality industry is rapidly hiring and preparing for the rush of visitors.
Destination Cleveland hopes new visitors will enjoy their experience enough to return and advocate for the city as a tourist destination.
“There’s really something for people of any interest here: arts and culture, music, the outdoors. I think it’s really a chance to show off Cleveland,” Lauer said.
Some visitors said they’re already planning to return.
“I think people are waking up. Don’t sleep on Cleveland, that’s all I’m saying,” said Friday.
