Visitors Drive Dollars, Jobs in Central Virginia
Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford all see increases in visitor spending.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Post-pandemic visitor spending in Virginia continues to climb, and the greater Fredericksburg region is enjoying the benefits of the state’s ability to draw tourists.
Statewide, a new report by the Virginia Tourism Corporation found that visitors in 2024 spent $35.1 Billion in the Old Dominion state. That’s up from $33.3 Billion in 2023, and $17.5 Billion in 2019.
Locally, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford all realized increases in visitor spending. (For the purpose of the report, a “visitor is defined as someone who stayed overnight or traveled more than 50 miles to the destination.”)
Of the three, Spotsylvania attracted the greatest number of visitor dollars, $245.9 Million. That’s up 2.9% from the roughly $239 Million generated in 2023.
Stafford was second in the area, attracting $ 236.8 Million in 2024, up 5.4% from 2023’s $224.6 Million.
Fredericksburg attracted $170.8 Million, up 12.9% from 2023’s $151.2 Million.
A total of 5,959 jobs are supported in the three localities: 1,622 in Fredericksburg, 2,143 in Spotsylvania, and 2,194 in Stafford.
In a press release issued by Spotsylvania County, Ed Petrovitch, the county’s administrator, said: “We’re excited to see tourism in Spotsylvania County continue to grow, with visitor spending increasing by 34.9% since 2019.” He continued, “The food and beverage sector led the way with the most significant gains, and we’ve seen healthy increases across all tourism spending categories. This upward trend clearly shows that Spotsylvania is becoming a more popular destination for travelers and we will continue our efforts to ensure that our tourism industry continues to thrive for years to come.”
The report’s highlights are available at the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s website.
Reports for each locality in the state can be generated at this site.
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