Berkshires see post-COVID tourism rebound

Coming out of the pandemic, tourism is rebounding in the Berkshires.

1-Berkshire says the 2021 tourism impact numbers show a 55% increase in direct visitor spending over 2020.

Those numbers are from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.

The major increase in tourism spending in 2021 signals a strong growth trajectory for the hospitality and tourism industry in the area.

For 2021, the total economic impact of tourism in the Berkshires was $900 million.

Jobs directly related to tourism supported more than 4,000 people in Berkshire County in 2021.

Visitors in the Berkshires generated $616 million of spending at local businesses throughout the county in 2021 – which led to a whopping $33 million in state tax revenue.