Virginia Beach draws tourism, and it seems to be growing

VIRGINIA BEACH — Research recently released by U.S. Travel Association and Longwoods International indicated the travel and tourism industry here is strong and continues to grow at a steady pace.

USTA research released by the state’s tourism authority, Virginia Tourism Corporation, shows the city has experienced increases for the past five consecutive years (2014 – 2018) in several key economic impact classifications, according to a news release from the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The bureau has aligned with VTC to share visitor expenditure data supplied by USTA, a 501(c)(6) organization representing all components of the travel industry, and the industry’s trusted source for national tourism and travel data.

Visitation research conducted by Longwoods International shows a record 20.2 million visitors traveled to Virginia Beach in 2018, a 6 percent increase from 2017. Overnight visitation grew to 10.5 million and day visitation reached 9.7 million. Key economic indicator increases for 2018 reported by USTA include:

Virginia Beach visitors spent a record $1.63 billion in 2018, an increase of 4.4 percentover 2017;
Local tax receipts grew 2.3 percent, exceeding $62.6 million;
State tax receipts reported in at $77.2 million,representing a nearly 3 percent increase;
Payroll for travel and tourism related jobs in Virginia Beach rose 3.5 percent.

“From Atlantic Avenue to Town Center and beyond, Virginia Beach offers a unique selling proposition as a vibrant coastal leisure, sports and business destination offering visitors a diversity of experiences. Our residents benefit year-round from increased entertainment and attraction options and a tax base that is subsidized thanks to the continuous growth of our tourism industry,” said Interim CVB Director Ron Kuhlman.