Tourists spent $923M in Virginia’s Blue Ridge in 2024

(WFXR) — Visitors to Virginia’s Blue Ridge spent $923.1 million in 2024, a 4.6 percent increase over 2023, according to new economic impact data released by the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

The report indicated that direct visitor spending supported 7,418 jobs and generated $44.6 million in local tax revenue for “the Cities of Roanoke and Salem and the Counties Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke.”

The increase is encouraging news for area tourism officials. According to Kathryn Lucas, director of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the local sector continued to break records despite the impact of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene. The agency’s website, Visit VBR, experienced two million unique visitors in fiscal year 24-25, with 80 percent of the traffic coming from outside the region. Lucas said the leading feeder markets for VBR are Northern Virginia/ Washington DC, Richmond, and Norfolk/ Virginia Beach.

Lucas said the “region continues to see strong growth in the first half of 2025, and is pacing well-ahead of national and state averages for lodging demand and revenue.” Year-over-year lodging demand (January-June) is up 3 percent and revenue is up 6.9 percent. According to Lucas, nationally, the demand for lodging during the same time period is up just 0.1 percent and revenue is up 1.5 percent. Statewide, YOY lodging for the first half of 2025 is up 2.2 percent and revenue is up 3.1 percent.

“These record-breaking numbers are a huge deal for Virginia’s Blue Ridge,” said Landon Howard, president of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. “Visitor spending generates tax revenue that enhances the quality of life for our residents and local businesses that make Virginia’s Blue Ridge a great place to live, work, and play. We are encouraged by recent figures that show our region is pacing well ahead of state and national hotel data in 2025, despite economic uncertainty in the national and overall travel industry.”

According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, 44.7 million tourists visited the Commonwealth in 2024.

• 73 percent of tourists were from out of sate
• Visitors stayed an average of 3.4 nights per visit
• Tourists spent $35.1 billion in 2024
• Visitors paid 2.5 billion in state and local taxes

The 2024 Economic Impact study was prepared by Tourism Economics.