Visitor Spending Generates $21.4 Million in Dickinson County
ABILENE, Kan. – Visitors spent an estimated $21.4 million in Dickinson County in 2025, according to new economic impact data released by Kansas Tourism and prepared by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company.
Visitor spending included $7.9 million on transportation, $5.5 million on food and beverage, $3.3 million on retail, $2.7 million on lodging and $1.9 million on recreation.
Overall Dickinson County visitor spending decreased 4.2% from 2024.
Dickinson County ranked 38th among Kansas’ 105 counties for visitor spending, placing the county in the top 36% statewide.
“$21.4 million in visitor spending is significant because those are dollars coming into our county and supporting local restaurants, retailers, lodging properties, attractions and other businesses,” said Julie Roller Weeks, director of the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau. “At the same time, the numbers are a good reminder that tourism is competitive, and we can’t take visitors for granted.”
That competition is especially apparent along the Kansas I-70 corridor. Abilene’s neighboring cities are three of the state’s highest-ranking counties for visitor spending: Saline County ranked sixth, Riley County seventh and Geary County 13th.
“We are surrounded by communities that are actively competing for visitors, events, overnight stays and visitor spending,” Roller Weeks said. “But that’s also an opportunity. There are a lot of people already traveling to and through this part of Kansas. Our job is to give them a reason to choose Abilene, stay longer and spend more while they’re here.”
Abilene has demonstrated its ability to compete as a visitor destination. The community has been named one of USA TODAY’s Best Historic Small Towns in America for seven consecutive years and recognized as one of True West Magazine’s Top 10 True Western Towns. Its attractions and tourism initiatives have also earned numerous awards and accolades.
But attracting visitors is only part of the equation.
“Destination marketing can put Abilene on someone’s radar and help get them here, but once they arrive, we need opportunities for them to spend money,” Roller Weeks said. “Every meal purchased, overnight stay, shopping trip, attraction ticket and additional activity helps keep more visitor dollars in our community.”
Capturing that spending is a community-wide effort. Restaurants, retailers, lodging properties, attractions and other businesses all play an important role. Convenient hours, great customer service and experiences that encourage visitors to stay longer can help maximize the economic impact of every visit.
The impact extends beyond tourism-related businesses. When visitors eat, shop and make other taxable purchases, they also contribute sales tax revenue that helps fund state and local government services and voter-approved special sales tax initiatives.
“These numbers give us a benchmark and an opportunity,” Roller Weeks said. “Abilene has proven it can compete as a destination. Our focus now is on how we build on that success and grow our share of the visitor economy.”
