ROANOKE– Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge hosted its first Tourism Research Summit last week at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, bringing together local leaders and hospitality partners to review new tourism data and celebrate record-breaking economic results for the region.
According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Tourism Economics, visitors spent a record $923.1 million in Virginia’s Blue Ridge in 2024 — a 4.6% increase over 2023 and 24.9% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This direct visitor spending generated $44.6 million in local tax revenue, supported 7,418 jobs, and resulted in $347.38 in local tax savings per household across the region.
The Summit also highlighted results from VBR’s “Vacation Starts with VA’s Blue Ridge” spring marketing campaign, which delivered over 52.9 million impressions, 620,000 website visits, and 5.3 million digital engagements, helping drive a new annual record of 2 million unique visitors to VisitVBR.com. Visit VBR was also able to compare campaign performance in the Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia markets, measuring key metrics such as cost per engagement and cost per visit to evaluate which market was most effective in driving visitation.
Sports tourism was another key focus, including the 2025 USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championship, which generated an estimated $2.6 million in visitor spending and raised funds for local nonprofits and trail maintenance projects.
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge said it continues to use data-driven marketing and event strategies to strengthen the region’s economy, support local businesses, and enhance the quality of life for residents.
-The Salem Times-Register