Tourism spending in Danville and Pittsylvania County was up drastically last year. Visitors spent $275.2 million in 2024, up 23.5% year over year, making Visit SoSi Virginia’s fastest-growing tourism destination. Tourism also supported 2,221 local jobs and generated more than $11 million in local tax revenue across the two localities. 

According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), tourism in Virginia generated a record high $35.1 billion in visitor spending in 2024, marking a 5.4% increase from $33.3 billion in 2023. Overnight visitation to Virginia increased by over one million people to 44.7 million visitors in 2024, up from 43.6 million in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time and setting a new record. 

Travelers spent $96 million per day in Virginia in 2024, up from $91 million in 2023. Virginia visitors directly drove $2.5 billion in state and local tax revenue, an increase of $100 million from 2023. Every Virginia household saves $990 annually on state and local taxes because of the revenue generated by visitors. 

The tourism industry in Virginia directly supported over 229,000 jobs in 2024, an increase of nearly 5,000 jobs compared to 2023. Direct travel employment is now at 95% of pre-pandemic employment levels. Virginia’s tourism workforce is growing gradually, but staffing shortages remain an ongoing challenge, particularly in the lodging sector.