Since 2018, the Great Miami Riverway has commissioned three independent economic impact studies from Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company — in 2018 (covering 2017 data), 2022 (covering 2021 data), and 2024 (covering 2023 data). Individually, each report is a snapshot. Together, they're something more valuable: a six-year trend line showing what happens when a region invests consistently in river-based recreation, trails, and downtown revitalization along a single connected waterway.
The short version: it's working. Every headline metric — visitor spending, total economic impact, jobs, wages, and tax revenue — has moved in one direction. Up.
| Metric | 2017 | 2021 | 2023 | Change, 2017→2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct visitor spending | $510.9M | $572.3M | $709.8M | +38.9% |
| Total economic impact | $773.0M | $984.1M | $1,164.4M | +50.7% |
| Total jobs supported | 9,110 | 9,924 | 10,930 | +20.0% |
| Total labor income | $219.8M | $270.3M | $321.3M | +46.2% |
| Total tax revenue generated | $99.6M | $137.0M | $139.9M | +40.5% |
| Counties in study area | 5 | 5 | 6 | +1 (Hamilton added) |
| River miles covered | ~99 | ~99 | ~130 | +31 miles |
Note: The 2023 study expanded the Riverway boundary to include Hamilton County, extending the corridor roughly 30 miles south to Cleves. That makes 2023's totals not perfectly apples-to-apples with 2017 and 2021 — but even isolating the original five counties, growth across every metric remained strong. See our full breakdown of the 2023 report for county-level detail.
The 2017 Great Miami Riverway economic impact study was the region's first attempt to quantify what river-based tourism was actually worth. It found $773 million in total business sales and 9,110 jobs across five counties — Shelby, Miami, Montgomery, Warren, and Butler — along 99 miles of the Great Miami River. Montgomery County, anchored by Dayton, accounted for more than two-thirds of that activity. The study gave the region something it never had before: a shared, credible number to build a tourism development strategy around.
Two years after that baseline, COVID-19 hit the travel industry harder than almost any other sector of the economy. Regional visitor spending along the Great Miami River fell to $473.5 million in 2020. The 2021 Great Miami Riverway report, released in late 2022, captured what happened next: a sharp, broad-based recovery. Visitor spending jumped 20.9% in a single year, reaching 95.1% of pre-pandemic levels, while total economic impact climbed to $984.1 million and jobs recovered to 9,924. Notably, Shelby and Warren counties didn't just recover — they exceeded their 2019 spending totals outright, a sign that outdoor, drive-to recreation (exactly what the Riverway offers) was leading the broader tourism industry's comeback.
By the time Tourism Economics measured 2023 for the latest Great Miami Riverway report, the recovery story had become a growth story. Visitor spending hit $709.8 million — up 6.0% year-over-year and 12.2% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels — pushing total economic impact past $1.16 billion for the first time. The study area itself grew too, with Hamilton County joining the Riverway for the first time and immediately posting the region's second-fastest growth rate at 11.4%. Lodging spending topped $100 million in a single year for the first time in the study's history, a signal that more visitors are staying overnight rather than day-tripping — typically evidence of a maturing, increasingly self-sustaining destination.
Looking at all three reports side by side, a few patterns hold steady year after year:
1. Montgomery County is the anchor, but not the whole story. Montgomery County (Dayton) has generated roughly two-thirds of the Riverway's total tourism sales in every study — $521.7 million in 2017, $669.7 million in 2021, and $749.2 million in 2023. But its share of the total has actually declined slightly over time (67.5% in 2017 to 64.4% in 2023), meaning the rest of the corridor is growing faster than the region's largest market.
2. Food & beverage and recreation consistently lead job creation. In every single study, food & beverage has been the single largest employer among tourism-supported industries, followed closely by recreation and entertainment. That consistency reflects the Riverway's core identity: a destination built around trails, paddling, and small-town dining and hospitality — not conventions or business travel.
3. Smaller counties are catching up. Shelby County posted the fastest percentage growth in visitor spending in both the 2021 report (+33.5%) and among the strongest in 2023 (+7.1%). Hamilton County, brand new to the 2023 study, immediately posted the region's top growth rate (+11.4%). The takeaway: growth along the Great Miami River isn't just a Dayton story anymore.
4. Tax revenue keeps pace with — or outgrows — spending. Tourism-generated tax revenue grew from $99.6 million (2017) to $137.0 million (2021) to $139.9 million (2023), consistently funding local and state government services without any burden on residents. Visitors, not homeowners, are picking up an increasing share of the tab for the infrastructure they use.
Ohio's statewide tourism economy also grew across this period — from $35.2 billion in visitor spending and 493,625 jobs in 2017, to $35.1 billion and 497,000 jobs in a pandemic-affected 2021, to a record $42.8 billion and 523,904 jobs in 2023. The Great Miami Riverway's growth rate has generally kept pace with or exceeded the state average, particularly in the most recent report — evidence that the region's investment in river-based tourism infrastructure is paying off at a rate that outperforms Ohio tourism broadly, not just riding a statewide wave.
Three data points don't just make a chart — they make a case. For the cities, counties, park districts, and economic development organizations that have invested in the Great Miami River Recreational Trail, riverfront parks, boat launches, and downtown revitalization from Sidney to Hamilton, these three studies provide six years of evidence that those investments are compounding. A single strong year could be luck. Three studies showing consistent, accelerating growth — through a pandemic, no less — is a trend.
As the Great Miami Riverway partnership looks toward its next chapter, likely including continued trail connectivity, riverfront development, and marketing investment, the historical data offers a clear baseline for measuring success: can the region sustain 20%+ growth in total economic impact every two years, as it has since 2017? If the pattern from Sidney to Cincinnati's doorstep holds, the answer looks promising.
How has Great Miami Riverway tourism spending changed since 2017? Direct visitor spending grew from $510.9 million in 2017 to $572.3 million in 2021 to $709.8 million in 2023 — a 38.9% increase over six years, despite a pandemic-driven dip in 2020.
How many economic impact studies has the Great Miami Riverway commissioned? Three, all conducted by Tourism Economics: covering 2017 data (published 2018), 2021 data (published 2022), and 2023 data (published 2024).
Has the Great Miami Riverway study area changed over time? Yes. The original studies (2017 and 2021) covered five counties — Shelby, Miami, Montgomery, Warren, and Butler — along about 99 miles of river. The 2023 study added Hamilton County, extending the corridor to roughly 130 miles.
Which Great Miami Riverway county has grown the fastest? Shelby County posted the fastest growth rate in the 2021 study (+33.5%), while newly added Hamilton County posted the fastest growth in the 2023 study (+11.4%), showing momentum spreading beyond the Dayton core.
How much has total economic impact grown since the first Great Miami Riverway study? Total economic impact grew from $773.0 million in 2017 to $1.164 billion in 2023 — a 50.7% increase over six years.
Where can I read the full Great Miami Riverway economic impact reports? Summaries and key findings from all three reports — 2017, 2021, and 2023 — are available in our companion posts: 2017 Report, 2021 Report, and 2023 Report.
Sources: "The Economic Impact of Tourism in The Great Miami Riverway Region of Ohio" (Tourism Economics, August 2018); "Economic Impact of Tourism in the Great Miami Riverway Region of Ohio, 2021" (Tourism Economics, September 2022); "The Great Miami Riverway Region Visitor Economy 2023" (Tourism Economics, October 2024). All studies prepared for the Great Miami Riverway.