Visitor economy
Bland County
County · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $5.4M here in 2025, up 2.6% on 2024 and up 10.6% on 2019.
$5.4M
Visitor spending, 2025
126 of 133 localities
25
Jobs supported
131 of 133
$0.2M
Local taxes from visitors
131 of 133
$0.8M
Wages paid
$0.1M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Lodging is the largest single category here at $3.1M, 58.4% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $3.1M58.4%
- Food and drink
- $0.6M11.1%
- Retail
- $0.1M1.4%
- Recreation
- $0.1M2.7%
- Transport
- $1.4M26.5%
Lodging includes short-term rentals and second-home spending. Transport covers both ground and air.
Year by year
| Year | Total | Change | Lodging | Food | Retail | Recreation | Transport | Jobs | Local tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5.4M | +2.6% | $3.1M | $0.6M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.4M | 25 | $0.2M |
| 2024 | $5.2M | +0.7% | $3.1M | $0.6M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.3M | 24 | $0.1M |
| 2023 | $5.2M | -96.4% | $3.1M | $0.6M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.3M | 23 | $0.2M |
| 2022 | $5.1M | +2.1% | $3.0M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.3M | 23 | $0.1M |
| 2021 | $5.0M | +19.8% | $3.1M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.3M | 21 | $0.1M |
| 2020 | $4.2M | -14.0% | $2.8M | $0.3M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $0.9M | 21 | $0.1M |
| 2019 | $4.8M | +4.5% | $2.8M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.3M | 22 | $0.1M |
| 2018 | $4.6M | +7.7% | $2.6M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.3M | 23 | $0.1M |
| 2017 | $4.3M | +6.7% | $2.4M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.3M | 23 | $0.1M |
| 2016 | $4.0M | — | $2.2M | $0.5M | $0.1M | $0.1M | $1.2M | 22 | $0.1M |
How that compares
- 0.01% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 0.5% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 126 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 131 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Bland County is +2.6%.