Data collected from 151,802 attendees at a range of arts events revealed that nonprofit arts and culture audiences generated $24.60 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission.

Arts attendees who live outside the county in which the arts event takes place spend more than twice as much as their local counterparts ($39.96 vs. $17.42).  Communities that attract cultural tourists stand to harness significant economic rewards.  These non-residents make up 32 percent of attendees at arts events.  Fifty-nine percent of nonlocal attendees report that the primary reason for their trip is “specifically to attend this arts/culture event.”

The nonprofit arts, unlike most industries, leverage significant amounts of event-related spending by their audiences. Attendance at arts events generates related commerce for hotels, restaurants, parking garages, and more.