VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — According to the latest numbers from the Virginia Tourism Corporation, 112 million people and $50.6 billion was the tourism impact in Virginia last year.
It’s a big jump from the year before and another sign that the state’s tourism economy isn’t just rebounding from the pandemic, it’s thriving.
The state entity behind the "Virginia is for Lovers" campaign released its latest 2023 data, showing $33.3 billion in direct visitor spending. It is a nearly 10% increase from the year prior, which had already seen a full recovery from the pandemic.
The state also saw a modest 3.2% increase in the number of visitors in 2023, inching the state closer to pre-pandemic volume.
Another significant jump in 2023 was revenue from visitor-generated state and local taxes. They brought in an extra $3.1 billion for Virginia, a 13.2% increase year over year.
For perspective, every household in Virginia would need to be taxed nearly $1,000 more last year to make up for that increase.
The things Virginia lovers spent the most on in 2023 are transportation, food & beverage, lodging, and entertainment.
But one area the state is still struggling to see a full recovery in is visitor-supported employment. These are jobs in the food, entertainment, and hospitality industries. Even with a 6.4% increase in 2023, the Commonwealth is still only about 90% of pre-pandemic levels.