Gem Show is the jewel of the Tucson tourism industry

Local businesses get needed boost to weather slow summers

Victoria Gonzalez, Reporter • February 1, 2026

Visit Tucson

Courtesy Visit Tucson Visitors can see all sorts of gems, jewels, and fossils at the Gem and Mineral Show, running through Feb. 15. (Courtesy of Visit Tucson)

The 71st annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show from Feb. 12-15 is one of the biggest economic drivers of tourism season, bringing tens of thousands of people here from all over the world.

The 2025 Gem Show generated $286.3 million in direct spending, according to a survey and economic impact study conducted by the L William Seidman Research Institute at ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business. The survey showed that last year’s show generated $27.9 million in sales tax revenue, $15 million of which went to the state of Arizona, $1.3 million to Pima County, and $11.6 million to the City of Tucson.

More than 37% of the city’s hotel rooms were rented during last year’s gem show month, bringing in more than $750,000 from the $4 nightly room surcharge. The county, meanwhile, saw a boost of nearly $40,000 in tax revenues generated from rental cars.

The gem show revenue is a boon for local businesses, which see a seasonal drop during the summer when students and winter visitors leave.

“With the revenue from the gem show, businesses can stay open and run through the summer,” said Felipe Garcia, Visit Tucson’s president and CEO.

This year’s event is showing some signs of following last year’s lead. Garcia said 94% of Tucson’s available hotel rooms are sold out, including at many downtown hotels that average $265 a night.

“The gem show is always a sure sellout,” said Michelle Frazier, manager of Hotel Congress at 310 E. Congress St. “Some hotels have a waitlist, but a room is never guaranteed.”

Some out-of-town visitors might experience a bit of sticker shock if they find a room.

Hotels adjust rates to meet demand, which means two nights in a hotel room near the Tucson International Airport renting this week for $475 will go for around $350 when the gem show is over. Resort rates average $1,120 for the same stay, while hotels in Marana are renting for $152 a night.

Visitors explore the exhibits of the Tucson Gem Show at the Tucson Convention Center. (Courtesy of Visit Tucson)

The Gem Show features 6,000 vendors selling gems, minerals, food, and other souvenirs. It also offers experiences, including watching artists in action.

“Artists come and create paintings with paints and pigments made out of crushed minerals,” said Jane Roxbury, the Gem Shows senior director.

The 71st Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. For more information, visit tgms.org.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.