Visitor economy
Virginia Beach
Independent city · Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads. Visitors spent $2.61B here in 2025, up 2.4% on 2024 and up 45.8% on 2019.
$2.61B
Visitor spending, 2025
4 of 133 localities
20,442
Jobs supported
2 of 133
$139M
Local taxes from visitors
4 of 133
$715M
Wages paid
$76M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $1.03B, 39.3% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $692M26.5%
- Food and drink
- $1.03B39.3%
- Retail
- $275M10.5%
- Recreation
- $337M12.9%
- Transport
- $282M10.8%
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 | $2.61B | +2.4% | $692M | $1.03B | $275M | $337M | $282M | 20,442 | $139M |
| 2024 | $2.55B | +2.0% | $689M | $982M | $269M | $329M | $282M | 20,129 | $135M |
| 2023 | $2.50B | +3.0% | $678M | $955M | $265M | $323M | $281M | 19,944 | $133M |
| 2022 | $2.43B | +14.5% | $661M | $905M | $261M | $314M | $287M | 19,275 | $128M |
| 2021 | $2.12B | +49.4% | $543M | $793M | $230M | $306M | $250M | 17,606 | $114M |
| 2020 | $1.42B | -20.7% | $314M | $522M | $181M | $218M | $184M | 15,333 | $81M |
| 2019 | $1.79B | +5.8% | $456M | $640M | $223M | $244M | $227M | 18,096 | $105M |
| 2018 | $1.69B | +6.2% | $429M | $599M | $222M | $226M | $216M | 17,643 | $99M |
| 2017 | $1.59B | +7.4% | $403M | $559M | $212M | $212M | $209M | 17,559 | $97M |
| 2016 | $1.48B | — | $364M | $517M | $197M | $197M | $209M | 17,178 | $92M |
How that compares
- 7.21% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 36.4% of the Coastal Virginia - Hampton Roads region, which took $7.17B.
- Ranks 4 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 4 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Virginia Beach is +2.4%.