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But direct travel spending in Pima County and across the state still lagged pre-pandemic levels, according to .

The agency’s data shows that Pima County led the state in percentage gained for direct travel spending by visitors, posting a 77.3% year-over-year increase from $1.3 billion in 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2021, and a 43.7% increase in local and state tax revenue from $135 million in 2020 to $194 million in 2021.

Sectors posting year-over-year revenue increases in Pima County included accommodations and food services; arts, entertainment and recreation; retail; and ground transportation.

Felipe Garcia, president and CEO of Visit ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, said the results reflect the pent-up demand for travel to Pima County in 2021.

“ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is fortunate to be a destination that captivates the imaginations of so many,â€� Garcia said. “The myriad outdoor recreational activities, distinct hotels and resorts and thriving food scene positioned us well for a significant rebound when people began to feel comfortable enough to travel again.â€�

Despite the overall results, some sectors continued to suffer, with revenue falling 14.8% from 2020 to 2021, Visit ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ noted.

And direct travel spending by visitors in Pima County in 2021 still fell short of 2019, when it reached an all-time high of $2.6 billion.

Statewide, meanwhile, direct travel spending rose more than 58% in 2021 from 2020, to $23.6 billion, but that was still about 8% below spending of $25.6 billion in 2019, the Office of Tourism report showed.

“ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and Pima County still have some ground to make up before we reach our pre-pandemic direct travel spending by visitors levels,â€� said Garcia. “But these numbers are very promising, and they’ve spurred a lot of optimism.â€�

Among the bright spots, Pima County’s hospitality industry posted an overall gain in jobs of 4.9% in 2021, with year-over-year gains of 7% in accommodations and food services and 8.5% in arts, entertainment and recreation, while retail jobs grew about 5%.

But many local hospitality-related companies say they are still short-staffed amid a nationwide labor shortage in the industry, and high inflation also threatens the tourism recovery, Visit ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ said.

The local tourism industry may see further advances in 2022, judging from improvement in hotel results for the winter tourism season.

Hotel occupancy in the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ market averaged 71% from January through April, up 28% from the same period in 2021 but still short of the 77% occupancy posted in 2019, according to the global hospitality data and analytics company STR.