Downtown Dayton and the Great Miami River. CORNELIUS FROLIK / STAFF
A tourism study has found that visitor spending in the counties along the Great Miami River grew since 2023, generating a total impact of more than a billion dollars and supporting more than 11,000 jobs.
According to a release from the Great Miami Riverway, the study measured economic contribution of visitor spending across Butler, Hamilton, Miami, Montgomery, Shelby and Warren counties, spanning 130 miles along the Great Miami River.
It found that visitors to the region spent $728.3 million in 2025, up 2.6% from 2023. The majority of that spending was in Montgomery County, which drove 64% of the regional visitor sales. The strongest growth year-over-year was in Hamilton and Butler counties, which saw 9.1% and 3.3% growth, respectively.
Payroll Project: Search salaries for public employees
In all, the study found that the spending generated a total economic impact of $1.2 billion in business sales in the counties along the river in 2025, and generated $335.8 million in personal income for regional employees.
Visitor spending sustained a total of 11,177 jobs, the study found, 7,684 in direct jobs where visitors spend money and another 3,493 supported indirectly through the supply chain and local spending by employees.
That total means one in every 18 jobs in the region is connected to visitor spending, the study found.
The study found that the visitor economy also generated significant tax revenue, bringing in $144.4 million in 2025, including $72 million in state and local taxes.
To put that number in perspective, the release said, in order to generate the same amount, each household in the region would need to be taxed an additional $322.
According to the release, the growth mirrors trends across the state, which saw $44.3 billion in visitor spending, supporting more than 535,000 jobs, bringing in $4.8 billion in tax revenue and generating a total economic impact of $72.6 billion.
The study was commissioned by the Great Miami Riverway Coalition, a program of the Miami Conservancy District, and was conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company.
“For nearly a century, the Miami Conservancy District has invested in the river corridor — first for flood protection, and through the River Corridor Improvement Subdistrict, for recreation and public access, with over 99 miles of connected biking and water trails through our partner communities, enhancing the quality of life throughout the region. This study shows that investment continues to pay dividends, generating $1.2 billion in economic impact and supporting more than 11,000 jobs across the region,” said MaryLynn Lodor, General Manager, Miami Conservancy District.