YORK COUNTY — The York County Department of Economic and Tourism Development announced visitor spending reached $297.5 million in 2023, a 1.8% increase over the previous year, according to data from the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
Tourism-supported jobs in York County accounted for 11.8% of local employment, and tourism-related taxes generated $22.9 million in revenue, it added.
“Tourism is a key driver of economic vitality in York County,” said Deirdre Roesch, Marketing & Communications Manager for York County Economic and Tourism Development. “The increase in visitor spending will not only strengthen businesses and support essential services, but also foster community growth and enable the County to invest in additional educational and recreational programs.”
According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), tourism in Virginia generated a record high $33.3 billion in visitor spending in 2023, an increase of nearly 10% from 2022, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 14.7%. Additionally, the tourism industry in Virginia directly supported over 224,000 jobs in 2023, an increase of over 13,000 jobs relative to 2022. Direct travel employment is now at 93% of pre-pandemic employment levels. Visitor-facing industries accounted for more than 5% of all jobs in Virginia last year.
Travelers spent $91 million a day in Virginia in 2023, up from $83 million in 2022, according to VTC. Virginia visitors directly drove $2.4 billion in state and local tax revenue, an increase of 9% from $2.2 billion in 2022. Overnight visitation to Virginia increased by 1.4 million to 43.6 million visitors in 2023, up from 42.2 million in 2022, essentially reaching full recovery to pre-pandemic levels.
All five categories of visitor spending in the Commonwealth have now fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels and beyond, according to the announcement. Those categories include recreation, transportation, lodging, food & beverage, and retail. Recreation was the fastest growing category in 2023, up 12% over 2022 and 24% beyond pre-pandemic levels, more than any other category, as travelers continue to show a strong preference for experiences. Throughout 2023, Virginia’s visitor economy benefited from balanced hotel performance as business and group demand recovered strongly on weekdays against a backdrop of stable leisure demand during weekends, according to VTC.
The majority of visitor spending in York County occurred in the lodging ($87.5 million) and food & beverage ($110.7 million) sectors, the county said.
“It’s no surprise that when tourists look for a getaway, they seek relaxation and unique dining experiences. York County is proud to offer both, drawing visitors back year after year,” Roesch added.
VTC receives its annual economic impact data from Tourism Economics. The information is based on domestic visitor spending (travelers from within the United States) from per-person trips. Visitors included those who stayed overnight or traveled more than 50 miles to their destination. Detailed economic impact data and methodology are available at vatc.org/research.
