Visitor economy
Bristol
Independent city · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $258M here in 2025, up 43.8% on 2024 and up 268.9% on 2019.
$258M
Visitor spending, 2025
25 of 133 localities
1,459
Jobs supported
33 of 133
$10M
Local taxes from visitors
27 of 133
$46M
Wages paid
$21M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Recreation is the largest single category here at $96M, 37.1% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $56M21.9%
- Food and drink
- $72M27.8%
- Retail
- $12M4.7%
- Recreation
- $96M37.1%
- Transport
- $22M8.5%
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 | $258M | +43.8% | $56M | $72M | $12M | $96M | $22M | 1,459 | $10M |
| 2024 | $180M | +14.2% | $32M | $51M | $11M | $70M | $16M | 1,272 | $6.8M |
| 2023 | $157M | +66.5% | $27M | $43M | $9.5M | $65M | $13M | 1,205 | $6.0M |
| 2022 | $95M | +17.0% | $24M | $39M | $8.8M | $9.6M | $13M | 907 | $5.0M |
| 2021 | $81M | +49.1% | $21M | $33M | $8.1M | $7.7M | $11M | 784 | $4.4M |
| 2020 | $54M | -22.6% | $12M | $21M | $6.3M | $6.1M | $8.5M | 711 | $3.2M |
| 2019 | $70M | +3.3% | $17M | $28M | $7.5M | $7.2M | $10M | 826 | $4.1M |
| 2018 | $68M | +4.6% | $16M | $27M | $7.6M | $6.8M | $10M | 837 | $4.0M |
| 2017 | $65M | +2.0% | $15M | $26M | $7.2M | $6.5M | $9.7M | 875 | $3.9M |
| 2016 | $64M | — | $15M | $26M | $7.1M | $6.4M | $9.6M | 879 | $3.9M |
How that compares
- 0.71% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 22.0% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 25 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 27 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Bristol is +43.8%.