Visitors to Virginia Beach spent $2.5 billion during their stays in 2023, with $1.1 billion of that on food and drinks alone.
That’s according to a new study from Tourism Economics commissioned by the city.
Tourist spending climbed about 4% over 2022 figures.
The combination of direct spending and activity that resulted from that added up to a regional economic impact of $3.8 billion, the report says.
More than 14 million people visited Virginia Beach in 2023, passing 2019 numbers for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The primary draw for visitors was the city’s oceanfront and outdoor amenities, according to survey results. The surveys also indicated people traveled for entertainment, sports and cultural reasons.
The report underscores that 19% of the city’s workforce, or nearly 34,000 jobs, are tied to the tourism industry.
Previous housing reports have noted that many of those workers don’t earn enough to live in the city.
