Visitor economy
Suffolk
Independent city · Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads. Visitors spent $153M here in 2025, up 6.9% on 2024 and up 35.7% on 2019.
$153M
Visitor spending, 2025
37 of 133 localities
1,480
Jobs supported
30 of 133
$8.6M
Local taxes from visitors
31 of 133
$45M
Wages paid
$4.7M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $62M, 40.5% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $32M20.7%
- Food and drink
- $62M40.5%
- Retail
- $15M9.5%
- Recreation
- $19M12.2%
- Transport
- $26M17.0%
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 | $153M | +6.9% | $32M | $62M | $15M | $19M | $26M | 1,480 | $8.6M |
| 2024 | $143M | +2.1% | $30M | $57M | $14M | $17M | $25M | 1,456 | $8.1M |
| 2023 | $140M | +4.6% | $29M | $55M | $14M | $17M | $25M | 1,446 | $7.9M |
| 2022 | $134M | +11.5% | $28M | $52M | $13M | $17M | $25M | 1,387 | $7.5M |
| 2021 | $120M | +36.0% | $26M | $47M | $13M | $15M | $20M | 1,233 | $6.7M |
| 2020 | $88M | -21.6% | $17M | $34M | $10M | $11M | $16M | 1,202 | $5.2M |
| 2019 | $113M | +0.9% | $25M | $43M | $12M | $13M | $19M | 1,418 | $6.7M |
| 2018 | $112M | +9.2% | $25M | $42M | $12M | $13M | $19M | 1,436 | $6.5M |
| 2017 | $102M | +3.8% | $21M | $40M | $12M | $12M | $17M | 1,384 | $6.1M |
| 2016 | $98M | — | $20M | $38M | $12M | $12M | $16M | 1,380 | $6.0M |
How that compares
- 0.42% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 2.1% of the Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads region, which took $7.17B.
- Ranks 37 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 31 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Suffolk is +6.9%.