Visit Omaha
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Omaha Attracts Nearly 15 Million Visitors
Tourism in Omaha continued to grow in 2024, benefitting residents and local businesses. A record 14.7 million people visited Omaha last year — up nearly 3 percent from 2023. Visitors spent $1.6 billion eating in restaurants, shopping, enjoying attractions, getting around town and staying in hotels. Tourism supported 16,201 local jobs in 2024. That’s about 1 in every 28 jobs in Douglas County. Visitors also generated $344 million in taxes, which helped fund schools, roads and city services. Omaha’s future as a travel destination looks bright. The streetcar project is underway, the airport expansion is moving forward, and the convention center project is expected to wrap up in 2027. Recent additions, such as the RiverFront parks, Kiewit Luminarium and the Joslyn Art Museum expansion, are winning praise from visitors and national media alike. Learn more about how tourism shapes Omaha at VisitOmaha.com/WTLL.
Happy Birthday, Bob — And Meet Baby Bob
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, aka “Bob,” is turning 17 on September 28. And Omaha just welcomed a new arrival. “Baby Bob” is the fresh connector bridge that links downtown Omaha to the Bob in style. Baby Bob officially debuted September 4 with a ribbon cutting. At 1,100 feet long, Baby Bob stretches over Riverfront Drive and Union Pacific’s tracks. It starts at 10th Street, near Charles Schwab Field Omaha and CHI Health Center Omaha, making it easier than ever to wander from downtown Omaha to the Missouri River and back again. It’s a big deal for trail lovers too — the bridge ties into the Great American Rail Trail and the future North Omaha Trail. The Baby Bob project cost $7.5 million and was backed by federal and city governments, the Papio-Missouri River NRD, Downtown Riverfront Trust and Back to the River Foundation. In other words, a village raised this baby.As for the original Bob, since opening in 2008 it has become a tourist hotspot and local favorite. It unites Omaha...
Moo-ve Over: Bovine Practitioners Conference Coming to Omaha
You “herd” it here first: Omaha will welcome the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) September 11–13, 2025, at CHI Health Center Omaha and Hilton Omaha. The conference will draw about 1,100 veterinarians and veterinary students, with 95% coming from outside of Omaha. Attendees are expected to book more than 2,600 hotel room nights. Founded in 1965, AABP is an international group focused on advancing cattle health, welfare and productivity. The Omaha gathering will feature clinical forums, student receptions, scholarship presentations and an awards luncheon. When they’re not in sessions, attendees will explore Omaha’s restaurants, attractions and neighborhoods. We think they’ll agree that when it comes to choosing a conference host city, Omaha is the cream of the crop.
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Shop Local at the Omaha Visitors Center to Discover Unique Gifts
Deck the halls with OMAR and OMAI, Troll-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! The Omaha Visitors Center at 306 South 10th St. has holiday gifts that will make you sing, including three brand-new items and two special bundles. The most anticipated new item is the plush OMAI doll, from OMAI’s Adventure. The plush toy version of OMAR the Troll, OMAI’s brother who lives under the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, has been a Visitors Center bestseller, so the OMAI dolls will also go fast. Grab a Kids Bundle, which includes the OMAR doll, the book “OMAR Finds a Home” and an OMAI doll for a special price. Or, for the adults in your life, consider a Best of Omaha bundle, which pairs an I Love Omaha t-shirt with two more just-in items, an I Love Omaha magnet and an Omaha-branded high-quality tumbler. In addition to these gifts and specially branded Visit Omaha coffee mugs, beer glasses, t-shirts and more, the center also highlights a variety of Omaha products and shops, inspiring and educating shoppers...
Omaha Attracts More Than 14 Million Visitors
Omaha tourism had another remarkable year in 2023, benefitting residents andbusinesses. The city’s appeal as a tourist destination continues to grow. A record-breaking 14.2 million people visited Omaha in 2023, according to research byTourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company. Visitors spent more than $1.5billion dining and drinking in the city’s restaurants, shopping in its retail stores, visitingits attractions, using local transportation services and staying in hotels. Tourism dollarsin 2023 supported 15,823 jobs – a 4 percent increase from 2022. Thanks to $8 billion in ongoing new development, Omaha’s future as a destination isbright. The city will welcome a brand-new children’s museum, urban parks for youthsports, an airport expansion, a downtown soccer stadium and more within the next threeyears. To explore how tourism shapes Omaha’s growth, go to visitomaha.com/wtll.
Omaha Welcomes Holiday Travelers for Christmas Tours
This holiday season, Omaha is welcoming 13 group tours, offering visitors a chance toexperience the city’s unique seasonal charm. These multi-day Christmas tours – averaging sixdays and five nights or five days and four nights – draw travelers from neighboring states likeIowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas, with each bus bringing between 35 and 52 travelers. The tours highlight a variety of traditions and landmarks. Stops include dining and shopping atthe Old Market, the Holiday Poinsettia Show at Lauritzen Gardens, “A Christmas Carol” atOmaha Community Playhouse and the Christmas at Union Station exhibit at The DurhamMuseum. The tours also offer travelers a taste of Omaha’s international traditions withexcursions to Lithuanian Bakery, German-American Society, Joslyn Castle, Polish Home, St.John’s Greek Orthodox Church and more. Omaha offers unforgettable Christmas experiences that shine in travelers’ memories long afterthe holiday lights come down. Discover more ideas for Omaha...
Nebraska Association of School Boards Meets in Omaha
More than 1,100 school board members, superintendents and Educational Service Unit administrators and assistants will attend the 2024 NASB/NASA State Education Conference at CHI Health Center Omaha this week. The conference runs from Wednesday, November 20 through Friday, November 22. Attendees will be able to enjoy the city during their free time. This conference, presented annually the week prior to Thanksgiving, offers school leaders the state the latest in educational information and technology through workshops, keynote presentations, breakout sessions and commercial exhibits to strengthen school board governance and district leadership.
Travel Forecasts for the Holiday Season
Heading into the holidays, businesses and retailers gear up for another season of magic. Between holiday get-togethers and winter escapes, what’s in store for tourism? Based on an October survey of 1,000 adults 18 and over, Longwoods International, a leading travel and tourism research firm, predicts travel this holiday season will be comparable to 2023. Thirty percent of travelers, up from 24 percent in July, say inflation will greatly impact their travel decisions in the next 12 months. “Higher costs due to inflation and perceptions about the relative strength of the economy and job market appear to be making travelers more cautious about holiday travel planning when compared with 2023,” said Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International. “If these trends continue as we get closer to the holidays, we can expect holiday travel and spending to be relatively flat for 2024.”
Visit Omaha Inspires Third-Graders
Thanks to a little blue friend, third-grade social studies just got a lot more interesting. Visit Omaha’s visitor services team is inspiring little Omaha ambassadors with the new OMAR Story Program, visiting local third-grade classrooms and reading the book “OMAR Finds a Home.” The book follows OMAR, Omaha’s friendly blue troll, as he visits various Omaha attractions to find a place to live, ultimately discovering the perfect spot under the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge where you can find him today. Omaha Public Schools’ third-grade social studies curriculum covers the history and development of communities. Teachers often incorporate Omaha into their lessons. As members of Visit Omaha’s visitor services team read the story to each class, students express excitement about recognized attractions, including the Old Market Entertainment District, Omaha Children’s Museum, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Lauritzen Gardens, The Durham Museum, Joslyn Art Museum and Charles Schwab...