Visitor economy
Newport News
Independent city · Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads. Visitors spent $337M here in 2025, up 2.2% on 2024 and up 0.4% on 2019.
$337M
Visitor spending, 2025
18 of 133 localities
3,261
Jobs supported
16 of 133
$21M
Local taxes from visitors
17 of 133
$146M
Wages paid
$11M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $120M, 35.5% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $56M16.7%
- Food and drink
- $120M35.5%
- Retail
- $50M14.8%
- Recreation
- $42M12.4%
- Transport
- $70M20.6%
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 | $337M | +2.2% | $56M | $120M | $50M | $42M | $70M | 3,261 | $21M |
| 2024 | $330M | -0.8% | $56M | $114M | $49M | $42M | $70M | 3,263 | $20M |
| 2023 | $333M | -0.1% | $57M | $112M | $50M | $43M | $71M | 3,246 | $21M |
| 2022 | $333M | +10.3% | $57M | $109M | $49M | $43M | $75M | 3,194 | $20M |
| 2021 | $302M | +37.1% | $49M | $103M | $46M | $40M | $64M | 2,985 | $18M |
| 2020 | $220M | -34.4% | $35M | $74M | $36M | $25M | $51M | 2,829 | $15M |
| 2019 | $336M | +8.2% | $51M | $110M | $46M | $41M | $87M | 3,787 | $20M |
| 2018 | $311M | +6.3% | $45M | $102M | $46M | $37M | $80M | 3,659 | $18M |
| 2017 | $292M | +3.9% | $42M | $94M | $44M | $35M | $77M | 3,548 | $17M |
| 2016 | $281M | — | $40M | $90M | $43M | $33M | $74M | 3,490 | $17M |
How that compares
- 0.93% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 4.7% of the Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads region, which took $7.17B.
- Ranks 18 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 17 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Newport News is +2.2%.