1.8 Million People Downtown in July, Signaling 100% Recovery in Visitor Foot Traffic

July’s robust tourism numbers were buoyed by another record-breaking weekend at Picklesburgh (July 18-21, 2024).

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) released data showing a 100 percent recovery of pre-pandemic visitor traffic in Downtown in July 2024. Over 1.76 million visitors came through the Golden Triangle last month. On average, Downtown’s daily foot traffic increased to 100,270 people(visitors, employees, and residents), the highest since the pandemic. 

This recovery was, in part, due to pickles. Picklesburgh, three-time winner of USA Today’s ‘#1 Specialty Food Festival in America,’ has continued its annual tradition of breaking records. The 2024 event more than quadrupled in attendance from 2019, welcoming over 250,000 attendees between July 18 and July 21, 2024–a 27 percent increase over last year’s record-setting numbers. 

“Our organization is focused on supporting Downtown’s recovery and innovative events like Picklesburgh put Downtown Pittsburgh on the map as a not-to-be-missed summer destination for the masses,” said PDP President & CEO Jeremy Waldrup. “It’s great to see hundreds of thousands of people from all over the region, the country, and even the world coming here to explore, shop, dine and experience the best our city has to offer, inspiring future visits into the Triangle to support local businesses and enjoy our city.”

“Every year, Picklesburgh gets bigger and better, and we continue to see its impacts trickle down across our community,” said Jerad Bachar, President & CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “This year’s event fell on a jam-packed weekend, and the collective impact of all weekend events resulted in a 27 percent increase in occupancy over last year. Throughout the three-day span, nine in 10 hotel rooms in Downtown were occupied—an incredible testament to Picklesburgh as a festival and event destination for travelers.”

A Boon to Local Businesses

Last month, over 25 local retailers and restaurants participated in a Taste of Picklesburgh, a two-week-long Picklesburgh preview that continued throughout the festival, allowing these businesses to capitalize on the increased foot traffic. “We love the influx of visitors we meet each July visiting Pittsburgh for Picklesburgh!” said Kelly Sanders, co-owner of Downtown boutiques love, and Love, Pittsburgh. “This year we created a special collection just for pickle lovers, and it was a hit!”

“Events like Picklesburgh are what make our city so special and we feel so very lucky to be able to witness it year after year,” said Jen Grippo, owner of The Original Oyster House, a historic Market Square establishment. “During the summer months, when business is a bit slower, we see a significant increase in sales and foot traffic. We feel having Market Square as a part of the official blueprint for the event brought in many familiar faces and gave us the ability to make new friends!” 

Tourism Bounces Back as Local and Long-Distance Travel Grows

Since its inception in 2015, Picklesburgh has solidified its reputation as a marquee event for tourists, aligning perfectly with VisitPA’s new tourism brand, “Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway,” launched earlier this year to encourage more people to travel to and across the Commonwealth. Last month, local tourism in the Golden Triangle surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 16 percent, while out-of-state tourism also saw a significant boost, with 442,300 visitors traveling 150 miles or more to Downtown Pittsburgh in July. Nearly 50,000 of these long-distance travelers were in town for Picklesburgh. The festival, coupled with the Pirates vs. Phillies series and the Tekko 2024 convention taking place that same weekend, demonstrates the impact of large-scale events in drawing visitors both regionally and nationally.