[ad_1]
According to data recently released by the U.S. Travel Association, visitor spending in Loudoun County increased for the sixth consecutive year in 2019, contributing almost $2 billion to the local economy.
The data found that Loudoun was the third highest revenue generator in the commonwealth, bringing in $1.9 billion in visitor spending, up 3.6 percent from 2018. Tourism also supported 17,809 jobs and generated $755 million in wages in Loudoun County.
“Tourism remained a strong segment of Loudoun’s economy last year, but we know this industry that we love took a devastating hit in 2020,” Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson said in a prepared statement. “Tourism is a critical part of the community and the fact that we show year-over-year growth, demonstrates we are a strong and resilient industry poised to recover. It may take some time, but we will be ready to celebrate when we surpass $2 billion in revenue one day.”
In addition to increased spending, tourism-related state tax receipts for Loudoun in 2019 were about $50.8 million, up 4.6 percent, and local tax receipts were at $29.6 million, up 3.6 percent, according to the data.
The travel industry in the commonwealth has continued to grow 10 years in a row with a compound annual growth rate of 3.9 percent since 2010.
Some of Visit Loudoun’s COVID-19 response efforts have included an online partner portal with access to up-to-date guidelines, information about financial assistance programs, data and analytics.
The organization also implemented a 16-week webinar series, which more than 500 industry professionals attended to learn about everything from leveraging social media to applying for various federal loans and grants.
[ad_2]
Source link