New Economic Data Reveals Visitors Spent $772.8M in Whatcom County in 2025

Visitor spending in Whatcom County decreased by -.4% last year. Overnight stays were down, but day trips held steady, supporting local jobs and revenue.

Recent data released by Tourism Economics shows that spending among visitors to Whatcom County declined modestly in 2025, decreasing by -.4% compared to 2024 for a total of $772.8 million. The study, prepared for State of Washington Tourism, tracks the number of visitors to the region, their associated spend in five categories (shown in Figure A below), and industry jobs (shown in Figure C below).

In general, destinations across the state and particularly along the northwest I-5 corridor saw a softening in visitor spending last year. To put Whatcom County’s numbers in perspective, visitor spending across Washington State grew by .9% (compared to 5.3% in 2024). King County grew by .1% (compared to 6.8% in 2024), Pierce County grew by 2% (compared to 3.3% in 2024), and Skagit County grew by 2.6% (compared to 4.6% in 2024).

Despite the decrease in visitor spending, supplemental data reveals that Whatcom County hosted approximately 3.49 million visitors in 2025, which is in line with approximate visitor numbers from 2024. Of these visitors, 1.46 million stayed overnight, and the per-day impact for an overnight traveling party was $350, up from $300 in 2024. 

“Considering the decline in cross-border travel, the slight decrease in spending is not entirely surprising,” said Visit Bellingham President & CEO Dylan Deane-Boyle, “and when we look at per-visitor impact, the story becomes sunnier. Our overnight visitors spent more money per day, and strong spending from day-trippers helped offset what could have been a greater loss in visitor revenue.”

In total, visitors generated $66 million in direct state and local tax revenue last year—saving households in Whatcom County $702 dollars on their taxes.

Fig A: Breakdown of direct travel spending in Whatcom County in 2025

Fig B: Visitor spending trends from 2019-2025

Fig C: Changes in visitor spending by sector and tourism employment numbers, 2021-2025

As seen in Figure C, the rate of spending growth varied across sectors in 2025, with retail holding steady and modest gains seen in recreation and food & beverage. Spending on accommodations and transportation declined for the first time since 2020, as did tourism jobs, which decreased from 7,768 to 7,400 jobs.

“Looking ahead, we are cautiously hopeful that the world games this summer will lead to an overall boost in visitation, spending, and hospitality jobs in 2026, though we continue to navigate challenges related to Canadian sentiment and rising travel costs,” said Deane-Boyle.

Learn more about how Visit Bellingham | Whatcom County strives to increase visitor spending, lengths of stay, and support local industry jobs in our annual report at bellingham.org/about-us.

Visit Bellingham | Whatcom County is an independent, 501 (c)(6) nonprofit economic development organization whose purpose is to improve the economy by marketing Bellingham Whatcom County as a premier, year-round visitor, sports, outdoor recreation, arts and cultural, and meetings destination, which supports all travel, tourism, and hospitality businesses and nonprofits in Whatcom County.