Visitor economy
Smyth County
County · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $32M here in 2025, up 1.0% on 2024 and up 22.4% on 2019.
$32M
Visitor spending, 2025
86 of 133 localities
326
Jobs supported
81 of 133
$1.4M
Local taxes from visitors
88 of 133
$9.9M
Wages paid
$0.9M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $11M, 36.1% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $6.4M20.4%
- Food and drink
- $11M36.1%
- Retail
- $2.9M9.1%
- Recreation
- $3.3M10.3%
- Transport
- $7.6M24.0%
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 | $32M | +1.0% | $6.4M | $11M | $2.9M | $3.3M | $7.6M | 326 | $1.4M |
| 2024 | $31M | +9.3% | $6.4M | $11M | $2.8M | $3.5M | $7.7M | 329 | $1.4M |
| 2023 | $29M | -89.6% | $5.9M | $9.8M | $2.6M | $3.3M | $7.1M | 318 | $1.3M |
| 2022 | $28M | +3.7% | $5.7M | $9.4M | $2.6M | $3.3M | $7.4M | 326 | $1.3M |
| 2021 | $27M | +32.4% | $5.7M | $9.0M | $2.6M | $3.2M | $6.7M | 307 | $1.2M |
| 2020 | $21M | -20.2% | $4.5M | $7.0M | $2.0M | $2.0M | $5.2M | 294 | $1.0M |
| 2019 | $26M | +8.1% | $6.0M | $8.3M | $2.3M | $2.4M | $6.7M | 354 | $1.2M |
| 2018 | $24M | +6.6% | $5.5M | $7.8M | $2.2M | $2.2M | $6.3M | 347 | $1.1M |
| 2017 | $22M | -0.7% | $5.3M | $7.3M | $2.1M | $2.0M | $5.9M | 337 | $1.1M |
| 2016 | $23M | — | $5.4M | $7.2M | $2.1M | $2.0M | $5.9M | 349 | $1.1M |
How that compares
- 0.09% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 2.7% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 86 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 88 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Smyth County is +1.0%.