Did you invite friends from out of town to visit the Yakima Valley in 2022? If so you helped generate a lot of tourism dollars in the community.

WHEN TOURISTS VISIT THEY SPEND A LOT OF MONEY

A lot of people visited and spent their money in the Yakima Valley in 2022 according to the 2022 annual report from Yakima Valley Tourism. In short? 2022 saw a full recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic and that resulted in visitors spending money in Yakima. The report says visitors made 2.3 million trips to the valley and spent $342 million last year. Those visits and all that money helped support 4,670 jobs and $48 million in state and local tax revenue was generated.

LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR YAKIMA ON THE INTERNET

And while people visited the valley a lot of people also checked out the valley on Yakima Tourism websites. The report says there were 454,387 sessions on tourism websites which they say is a 46% increase over 2021.

YAKIMA VALLEY TOURISM SAW BIG SUCCESS LAST YEAR

Saw a 157% increase in social media impressions over 2021

Achieved strong recovery traffic to visityakima.com after 2020 and 2021 exceeding 2019 numbers by more than 10%

Launched a new lodging referral platform with feature to highlight property amenities and report leads

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT AS THE SUNSHINE IN YAKIMA

Tourism officials say 2023 looks even more promising as we approach spring when the valley comes alive with activities and tourism adventures.

For more information and a list of things to do now or in the future check

visityakima.com

LET'S GO: The most popular historic sites in America

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

LOOK: Oldest Disneyland Rides From 1955 to Today

Stacker, set out to compile a definitive list of every Disneyland attraction you can enjoy today and ranked them by their age. Using real-time data from Touring Plans, Disney archives, and historical news releases and reviews, our list starts with exciting recent park additions and stretches back to the oldest opening-day classics. This list focuses on the original Disneyland Park, so you will not see any rides from its neighboring California Adventure located just across the promenade. Read on to discover the oldest Disneyland rides you can still ride today.

More From 107.3 KFFM