In September, the Virginia Tourism Corporation released their economic impact numbers for 2018. In a report that showed a 4.4% increase in tourism expenditures across the entire Virginia tourism industry, Virginia Tourism Corporation highlighted an increase in mobility, technology, changing demographics, importance of leisure time, and the consumers’ appetite for unique experiences as the leading causes for the state-wide increase.
At the local level, Virginia Tourism Corporation also reported similar increase patterns—with Lynchburg being among those increases. A breakdown of Lynchburg’s tourism expenditures for 2018 include:
- $197,410,165 in Expenditures for 2018 – A 6.2% increase from 2017
- $39,555,182 in Salaries for 2018 – A 5.4% increase from 2017
- 1,729 Jobs in 2018 – A 2.4% increase from 2017
- $8,750,260 in State Taxes for 2018 – A 4.8% increase from 2017
- $7,563,660 in Local Taxes for 2018 – A 4.1% increase from 2017
These numbers are based on data received by the Virginia Tourism Corporation from the US Travel Association and domestic visitor spending (travelers from within the United States) from trips taken 50 miles or more away from home.
“Lynchburg is a great place to visit with plenty of outdoor recreation, incredible food, and world class attractions to explore, and we are so pleased to have confirmation that our efforts to market the City as a preferred destination is paying off,” explained Marjette Upshur, Director of the Office of Economic Development & Tourism for the City of Lynchburg. “The US Travel Association data suggests visitors are valuing unique experiences in their leisure time and the positive changes we’ve seen to the Lynchburg landscape have catered well to those needs—and it shows in the continuous growth in the numbers year over year.”
The Office of Economic Development & Tourism will use this data, as well as other future data, to make strategic decisions on where to commit their resources to encourage economic growth and impact for the City.