Visitor economy
Norfolk
Independent city · Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads. Visitors spent $1.55B here in 2025, up 2.9% on 2024 and up 34.5% on 2019.
$1.55B
Visitor spending, 2025
6 of 133 localities
8,740
Jobs supported
7 of 133
$68M
Local taxes from visitors
6 of 133
$451M
Wages paid
$38M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Transport is the largest single category here at $655M, 42.3% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $222M14.4%
- Food and drink
- $405M26.2%
- Retail
- $133M8.6%
- Recreation
- $134M8.6%
- Transport
- $655M42.3%
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 | $1.55B | +2.9% | $222M | $405M | $133M | $134M | $655M | 8,740 | $68M |
| 2024 | $1.50B | +4.9% | $217M | $383M | $129M | $126M | $650M | 8,651 | $65M |
| 2023 | $1.44B | +6.8% | $209M | $368M | $125M | $117M | $615M | 8,500 | $63M |
| 2022 | $1.34B | +19.3% | $197M | $348M | $120M | $111M | $567M | 8,191 | $59M |
| 2021 | $1.13B | +55.0% | $164M | $285M | $110M | $98M | $469M | 6,969 | $50M |
| 2020 | $727M | -36.9% | $111M | $204M | $81M | $62M | $269M | 6,349 | $38M |
| 2019 | $1.15B | +9.6% | $185M | $264M | $108M | $100M | $496M | 8,698 | $53M |
| 2018 | $1.05B | +8.9% | $161M | $245M | $106M | $96M | $444M | 8,215 | $49M |
| 2017 | $966M | +6.2% | $143M | $229M | $96M | $90M | $408M | 8,071 | $47M |
| 2016 | $910M | — | $135M | $217M | $95M | $88M | $374M | 7,991 | $46M |
How that compares
- 4.28% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 21.6% of the Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads region, which took $7.17B.
- Ranks 6 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 6 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Norfolk is +2.9%.