West Virginia Tourism Surpasses Nine Billion Economic Impact Setting Record High In Visitor Spending And Growth

Published on October 4, 2025

West Virginia’s tourism assemblage has reached unprecedented heights, surpassing $9.1 cardinal successful yearly economical effect for nan first clip successful history. Visitor numbers climbed to 77.2 million, driving $6.6 cardinal successful nonstop spending, an summation of 4.1% compared to nan erstwhile twelvemonth and mounting a caller all-time authorities record.

This singular accomplishment not only marks a afloat betterment from pandemic-related downturns but besides demonstrates stronger-than-ever maturation crossed nan state’s tourism landscape. Spending by visitors has surged by 28.2% compared to 2019 levels, acold exceeding nan nationalist mean betterment complaint of 12.4%, signaling rising request and renewed liking successful West Virginia arsenic a premier recreation destination.

The economical benefits of tourism widen good beyond visitant spending. In 2024, nan tourism manufacture generated $1.1 cardinal successful taxation revenues, including $619 cardinal straight supporting authorities and section governments. This influx of tourism gross efficaciously reduces nan taxation load connected households, pinch an estimated savings of astir $859 per household. Growth successful tourism activity was accordant crossed nan state, pinch each of nan 9 recreation regions signaling caller visitation and spending records.

Employment successful nan tourism assemblage continues to play a captious domiciled successful nan state’s economy. Tourism-supported jobs now relationship for astir 7 percent of full employment, equating to astir 61,000 positions statewide, aliases 1 successful each 15 jobs. The income generated by these positions totals $2.2 billion, underscoring nan industry’s value arsenic a driver of economical stableness and workforce development.

Visitor spending patterns item nan divers ways tourism supports nan economy. Food and beverage income led nan measurement pinch $1.8 billion, intimately followed by recreation and intermezo astatine $1.6 billion. Retail, transportation, and lodging mixed for complete $3 cardinal successful visitant expenditures, reflecting nan wide economical footprint of tourism crossed aggregate sectors.

These record-breaking figures were officially presented astatine nan yearly Governor’s Conference connected Tourism, wherever manufacture leaders from crossed nan authorities gathered to talk trends, strategies, and nan early of recreation successful West Virginia. Research from Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics institution that specializes successful measuring tourism impact, confirmed nan broad maturation and its affirmative effect connected nan state’s economy.

The information signals a robust early for West Virginia tourism, highlighting nan state’s entreaty arsenic a destination for some home and world travelers. The continued maturation of nan tourism assemblage not only strengthens section economies but besides reinforces West Virginia’s position arsenic a starring recreation destination successful nan United States.

Tourism successful West Virginia continues to thrive, driven by a operation of earthy attractions, recreational opportunities, and taste experiences. The grounds visitation numbers and spending levels underscore nan state’s expertise to pull visitors, create jobs, make revenue, and supply a meaningful economical boost to communities crossed nan region.

With beardown capacity crossed each regions and sectors, West Virginia’s tourism manufacture is poised for continued description , solidifying its domiciled arsenic a cornerstone of nan state’s system and an basal contributor to its semipermanent prosperity.

West Virginia’s tourism assemblage has not only recovered from pandemic setbacks but has emerged stronger than ever, achieving record-breaking visitation, spending, and economical impact. With robust maturation crossed each regions, important contributions to authorities and section revenues, and thousands of jobs supported, tourism has proven to beryllium a captious motor of nan state’s economy. Continued finance and improvement successful attractions, services, and experiences position West Virginia to prolong this momentum, welcoming moreover much visitors while strengthening communities and section businesses. The state’s historical achievements successful tourism underscore its increasing estimation arsenic a premier destination and a cardinal driver of economical prosperity for years to come.