Visitor economy
Salem
Independent city · Virginia Mountains. Visitors spent $120M here in 2025, down 1.6% on 2024 and up 44.2% on 2019.
$120M
Visitor spending, 2025
45 of 133 localities
1,127
Jobs supported
42 of 133
$5.9M
Local taxes from visitors
45 of 133
$34M
Wages paid
$3.6M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $45M, 37.4% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $30M24.8%
- Food and drink
- $45M37.4%
- Retail
- $11M9.1%
- Recreation
- $20M16.9%
- Transport
- $14M11.8%
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 | $120M | -1.6% | $30M | $45M | $11M | $20M | $14M | 1,127 | $5.9M |
| 2024 | $122M | +2.9% | $30M | $45M | $11M | $21M | $15M | 1,134 | $5.9M |
| 2023 | $118M | +5.2% | $29M | $43M | $11M | $20M | $15M | 1,115 | $5.7M |
| 2022 | $112M | +23.5% | $28M | $41M | $10M | $19M | $15M | 1,067 | $5.4M |
| 2021 | $91M | +56.1% | $22M | $33M | $8.8M | $14M | $13M | 886 | $4.3M |
| 2020 | $58M | -29.8% | $12M | $22M | $6.5M | $8.9M | $8.8M | 755 | $3.2M |
| 2019 | $83M | +2.6% | $19M | $32M | $8.6M | $11M | $12M | 954 | $4.5M |
| 2018 | $81M | +8.7% | $19M | $30M | $8.8M | $12M | $12M | 949 | $4.3M |
| 2017 | $74M | -0.2% | $16M | $28M | $8.4M | $11M | $11M | 948 | $4.1M |
| 2016 | $74M | — | $16M | $28M | $8.6M | $11M | $11M | 976 | $4.2M |
How that compares
- 0.33% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 9.6% of the Virginia Mountains region, which took $1.24B.
- Ranks 45 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 45 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Salem is -1.6%.