Visitor economy
Giles County
County · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $39M here in 2025, up 5.2% on 2024 and up 33.1% on 2019.
$39M
Visitor spending, 2025
83 of 133 localities
274
Jobs supported
88 of 133
$1.5M
Local taxes from visitors
85 of 133
$8.9M
Wages paid
$1.0M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Retail is the largest single category here at $12M, 31.1% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $7.6M19.3%
- Food and drink
- $11M26.7%
- Retail
- $12M31.1%
- Recreation
- $2.9M7.3%
- Transport
- $6.2M15.7%
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 | $39M | +5.2% | $7.6M | $11M | $12M | $2.9M | $6.2M | 274 | $1.5M |
| 2024 | $38M | +4.5% | $7.3M | $9.7M | $12M | $2.9M | $5.9M | 268 | $1.4M |
| 2023 | $36M | +173.9% | $7.0M | $9.3M | $11M | $2.7M | $5.6M | 263 | $1.4M |
| 2022 | $33M | +4.7% | $6.6M | $8.6M | $10M | $2.5M | $5.4M | 255 | $1.3M |
| 2021 | $32M | +48.9% | $6.7M | $8.0M | $9.5M | $2.3M | $5.3M | 247 | $1.2M |
| 2020 | $21M | -27.8% | $4.5M | $5.4M | $6.3M | $1.5M | $3.6M | 219 | $0.9M |
| 2019 | $30M | +4.2% | $6.2M | $7.7M | $8.8M | $2.0M | $4.9M | 284 | $1.2M |
| 2018 | $28M | +6.1% | $5.8M | $7.2M | $8.9M | $1.9M | $4.6M | 283 | $1.1M |
| 2017 | $27M | +4.8% | $5.6M | $6.8M | $8.4M | $1.8M | $4.2M | 280 | $1.1M |
| 2016 | $26M | — | $5.2M | $6.5M | $8.3M | $1.6M | $4.0M | 273 | $1.1M |
How that compares
- 0.11% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 3.4% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 83 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 85 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Giles County is +5.2%.