Tourism revenue for James City County reached $408.4 million in 2015, a 2.7% increase over 2014. Local tourism-related taxes were $16.8 million, a 6.4% increase over 2014. All data was received by the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) from U.S. Travel Association and is based on domestic visitor spending (travelers from within the United States) from trips taken 50 miles or more away from home. County tourism revenue as continued to grow over the last five years.
“James City County is a great location for visitors to explore the heritage and history of our nation at Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement,” said Kevin Onizuk, Board of Supervisors and Vice Chair of the Williamsburg Area Destination Marketing Committee. “The County is also home to the World’s Most Beautiful Theme Park (Busch Gardens), miles of outdoor adventure and seasonal, special events such as the Williamsburg Harvest Celebration. It’s no surprise that tourism revenues continue to grow.”
Data released by the U.S. Travel Association reveals that all regions in Virginia posted an increase in tourism revenue last year. According to the U.S. Travel Association, tourism in Virginia generated $23 billion in travel spending. Tourism also supported 223,000 jobs in the Commonwealth and $1.6 billion in state and local taxes. The increase is largely attributed to Virginia’s authentic, local travel experiences, diversity of tourism product, and the notable efforts of the destination marketing organizations and their leadership.
The Virginia Tourism Corporation receives its annual economic impact data from the U.S. Travel Association. The information is based on domestic visitor spending (travelers from within the United States) from per-person trips taken 50 miles or more away from home. Detailed economic impact data by locality is available on www.vatc.org under Research.