Orange County Continues to Enjoy Increase in Visitor Spending
By: Orange County Economic Development and Tourism Department and Orange County Communications Department
Nestled in the scenic and historic Piedmont region of Virginia, Orange County has long been a special place for visitors. As visitors look to find unique and authentic experiences, it continues to deliver. Meaningful initiatives like the award - winning Edna Lewis Menu Trail and the Orange Uncovered series help tell the story of Orange County in a way that resonates with the traveling public, and it ’ s being noticed. Just a few months ago, Good Morning Washington featured our attractions in a series of videos for their viewers. Recently, Southern Living published articles focused on the Town of Gordonsville, the Town of Orange, and nearby attractions. Notoriety like this reinforces what we already knew, Orange County is a great place to live and visit. The numbers tell a similar story! According to the most recent statistics released by the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), visitor spending for Orange County reached $54.4 million in 2023, a 3.1% change over 2022. Tourism - supported jobs in Orange totaled 660 while local tourism - related taxes were $3 million.
At the state level, Virginia generated a record high $33.3 billion in visitor spending in 2023, an increase of nearly 10% from 2022, exceeding pre - pandemic levels by 14.7%. The tourism industry in Virginia directly supported over 224,000 jobs in 2023, an increase of over 13,000 jobs relative to 2022. Direct travel employment is now at 93% of pre - pandemic employment levels. Visitor - facing industries accounted for more than 5% of all jobs in Virginia last year.
All five categories of visitor spending in the Commonwealth have now fully recovered to pre - pandemic levels and beyond. Those categories include recreation, transportation, lodging, food & beverage, and retail. Recreation was the fastest growing category in 2023, up 12% over 2022 and 24% beyond pre - pandemic levels, more than any other category, as travelers continue to show a strong preference for experiences. “ Visitors contribute significantly to the tax base in Orange County and 2023 was a banner year for the local industry. In addition to year - over - year growth, Orange surpassed its pre - pandemic spending levels by 19.3%” said Julie Perry, Director of Economic Development and Tourism. “ We ’ re proud of the historic sites, craft beverage producers, agritourism attractions, small businesses and boutique lodging partners that work so hard to make Orange County a great destination for everyone to enjoy!"
Learn more about our attractions at www.visitorangevirginia.com.
Page 2 | September 2024
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