Visitor economy
Wythe County
County · Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands. Visitors spent $153M here in 2025, up 0.0% on 2024 and up 33.5% on 2019.
$153M
Visitor spending, 2025
35 of 133 localities
1,472
Jobs supported
31 of 133
$7.3M
Local taxes from visitors
36 of 133
$45M
Wages paid
$4.5M in state taxes
Ten years of visitor spending
Where the money went in 2025
Food and drink is the largest single category here at $49M, 32.1% of everything visitors spent.
- Lodging
- $30M19.6%
- Food and drink
- $49M32.1%
- Retail
- $13M8.5%
- Recreation
- $21M13.9%
- Transport
- $40M25.9%
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 | +0.0% | $30M | $49M | $13M | $21M | $40M | 1,472 | $7.3M |
| 2024 | $153M | +4.7% | $31M | $47M | $13M | $22M | $40M | 1,482 | $7.2M |
| 2023 | $146M | +193.0% | $29M | $45M | $12M | $21M | $38M | 1,456 | $6.8M |
| 2022 | $145M | +11.4% | $29M | $43M | $12M | $21M | $39M | 1,414 | $6.7M |
| 2021 | $130M | +50.1% | $28M | $38M | $12M | $16M | $37M | 1,204 | $6.0M |
| 2020 | $87M | -24.6% | $17M | $27M | $7.4M | $9.8M | $25M | 1,055 | $4.4M |
| 2019 | $115M | +2.1% | $24M | $32M | $9.7M | $11M | $37M | 1,336 | $5.9M |
| 2018 | $112M | +3.7% | $24M | $31M | $9.7M | $11M | $36M | 1,372 | $5.8M |
| 2017 | $108M | +4.5% | $24M | $30M | $9.0M | $11M | $35M | 1,377 | $5.7M |
| 2016 | $104M | — | $22M | $29M | $8.7M | $10M | $33M | 1,352 | $5.6M |
How that compares
- 0.42% of all visitor spending in Virginia, which totalled $36.20B in 2025.
- 13.0% of the Southwest Virginia - Blue Ridge Highlands region, which took $1.17B.
- Ranks 35 of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities by visitor spending, and 36 of 133 by the local taxes that spending returns.
- Statewide spending is +3.1% on 2024; Wythe County is +0.0%.