Va. tourism generated $33.3B for 2023

Virginia’s tourism industry generated $33.3 billion in visitor spending in 2023, an increase of nearly 10% over 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Monday. 

“The commonwealth’s record-breaking visitor spending numbers are a testament to our abundance of attractions and unique destinations,” Gov. Youngkin stated in a news release. 

Virginia’s tourism industry supported over 224,000 jobs in 2023, an increase of 13,000 jobs over 2022, according to the release. Direct travel employment is 93% of what it was prior to the pandemic. 

In 2023, travelers spent $91 million a day in Virginia, up from $83 million in 2022. Directly, Virginia visitors drove $2.4 billion in state and local tax revenue, a 9% increase from $2.2 billion in 2022. About 43.6 million tourists spent the night in the commonwealth in 2023, up from 42.2 million the year before. 

Virginia tracks tourist spending within five major categories: recreation; transportation; lodging; food and beverage; and retail. Each category has recovered to levels seen prior to the pandemic. Recreation grew the fastest in 2023, with a 12% increase over 2022 and a 24% increase over pre-pandemic levels. Transportation increased 11% last year over 2022 and 11% over pre-pandemic levels. Lodging spending grew by 9% in 2023 over 2022 and increased from 2019 levels by 13%. 

“Recreation and transportation in particular have seen remarkable increases, driven by a strong preference for unique experiences,” Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick stated in the release.

Virginia Tourism Corp. receives annual economic impact data from Tourism Economics, a Pennsylvania consulting firm. The information is based on domestic visitor spending. To be included, visitors must have stayed overnight or traveled more than 50 miles.