Visitors to Virginia’s Blue Ridge generated a record $1.356 billion in economic impact, a nearly 7% percent increase over 2022. Of that $1.3 billion, $882 million was directly spent by visitors in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, another record and a 6.6% increase over 2022. This visitor spending generated nearly $43 million in local taxes for the Cites of Roanoke and Salem and the Counties of Botetourt, Franklin and Roanoke.
“The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center team, in partnership with Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, has delivered an exceptionally strong performance in 2024,” said General Manager Brian Wells. “We are fulfilling our commitments and are well-positioned for the future. Our record revenue numbers, robust conference and meeting business, and the resurgence of business travel underscore our success.”
The tourism industry in Virginia’s Blue Ridge directly supported 7,280 jobs in 2023, an increase of 3.6% relative to 2022. Direct travel employment in Virginia is now at 93% of pre-pandemic employment levels. Visitor-facing industries accounted for more than 5% of all jobs in Virginia last year.