The Hampton Roads economy has always been based on three primary drivers: the military, the port and tourism. The Virginia Tourism Corporation annual report for tourism has some very encouraging news for Virginians and our economy. In 2023, visitors spent $33.
3 billion with a total economic impact of $50.6 billion. This spending supports more than 321,000 jobs and generates $3.
1 billion in state and local taxes. What does $3.1 billion in tax revenue equate to? To make up to $3.
1 billion in tax revenue, every household in Virginia would need to come up with another $1,000 in taxes. So tourism is supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and easing the tax burden on all Virginians. The Virginia Tourism Corporation works tirelessly to draw additional tourists in Virginia, along with local government and tourism boards, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation and other public and private groups.
However, the overall headcount of tourists visiting Virginia was up only 3.2%. If Virginia is to build on our tourism successes, it must increase the numbers of visitors to our historic and beautiful state.
The VTC’s annual report talks of airline flights and ground transport, but glides over one of the largest potential sources for new tourists, the cruise ship industry. In Virginia, Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), the trade association for the cruise industry, issues an annual report regarding the cruise industry. It details passenger count totals, passenger .