Danville, Va. | Sept. 8, 2026 – Visitor spending for Danville and Pittsylvania County, Va., reached $415.2 million, a 50.9 percent increase over 2024 figures. Tourism supported 3,941 jobs in the region and generated $18.7 million in local tax revenue.
According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), tourism in Virginia generated a record-high $36.2 billion in visitor spending in 2025. Visitor spending increased 3.1 percent, or $1.1 billion, over the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth in visitor spending.
Virginia welcomed a record 46.6 million domestic and international overnight visitors, marking an increase of nearly one million visitors and the second consecutive year of record visitation. Visitors spent $99 million per day in Virginia, up from $96 million the previous year, with dining, recreation, and other experience-based spending fueling much of that growth as travelers continued to prioritize meaningful travel experiences.
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Tourism directly generated more than $2.6 billion in state and local tax revenue over the previous year. Including tourism’s full ripple effect across Virginia’s economy, visitors saved the average Virginia household $1,020 in state and local taxes while helping fund schools, public safety, transportation and other essential local services. Virginia’s tourism industry directly supported nearly 232,000 jobs, an increase of more than 2,700 jobs over the previous year, and generated $10.6 billion in wages and salaries for Virginians.
Leisure travel remained the primary driver of Virginia’s tourism growth, accounting for 90 percent of overnight visitation as travelers increasingly sought high-value destinations closer to home. That trend helped fuel strong performance in Virginia’s leisure-focused regional destinations.
“We are delighted to remain the fastest-growing locality for visitor spending in Virginia — a place travelers are just beginning to discover,” Tourism Manager Lisa Meriwether said. “So many people across our community have worked incredibly hard to get us where we are today, and I’d tell anyone who hasn’t been to this part of the state in a while, it’s definitely time to come see what you’ve been missing!”
Investing in strategic tourism promotion is still a relatively new initiative for the region, but the efforts are clearly paying off. For the second year in a row, Danville and Pittsylvania County, Va., increased their share of visitors more dramatically than any other locality. The lift is being felt across all measured categories.
State tax collections from visitation in the region grew by 78.77 percent, and local tax collections grew by 44.49 percent. Tourism-related employment in the region grew by 20 percent, while labor income grew by 26.57 percent. Recreation spending, which includes revenues collected from Caesars Virginia, VIRginia International Raceway, the Danville Science Center, the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex, as well as many other significant festivals, events and local attractions, brought in $207 million, up 86.9 percent year over year.
“For the fourth year in a row, we’re celebrating another record, and that kind of sustained growth speaks to the strength and resilience of Virginia’s tourism industry,” said President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation Rita McClenny. “From coast to cliff, visitors are discovering everything Virginia has to offer, and our tourism partners are delivering the experiences that keep them coming back. Around the clock and across the Commonwealth, our visitor economy never stops. With our hotel performance already outpacing the nation in 2026, we’re building on this momentum and looking forward to another strong year for Virginia tourism.”
VTC receives its annual economic impact data from Tourism Economics. The information is based on domestic and international visitor spending from per-person trips. Visitors included those who stayed overnight or traveled more than 50 miles to the destination. Detailed economic impact data and methodology are available at vatc.org/research.
