Arlington Visitor Spending Hits Record $3.4 Billion in 2018

Published on September 10, 2019

Arlington visitors spent a record $3.4 billion in 2018, a 4.3 percent increase over 2017, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Arlington has led Virginia counties in visitor spending since 2009. Tourism generated nearly $94 million in local tax receipts, benefiting County programs and services, as well as state tax receipts of nearly $127 million. Local tourism-supported jobs totaled 26,566, an increase of more than 200 from 2017.

"It is no surprise that year after year Arlington's vibrant urban villages, our iconic monuments, our lovely neighborhoods and welcoming community make this a place that people from across the nation and around the world want to visit," Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey said. "Tourism, which brings visitors to our hotels and guests to our restaurants and retail shops, continues to grow, and remains a vital economic driver for our County."

"Arlington's strong tourism economy demonstrates the power of committed partnerships throughout our hospitality community and local government," said Portia Conerly, acting director of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service. "We are grateful for the solid foundation our partners have helped us build, from the Arlington Chamber's support of tourism-promotion funding to ongoing collaboration among our hotels, business improvement districts (BIDs), neighborhood partnerships, businesses and regional tourism organizations."

Tourism development spurs industry growth statewide

The U.S. Travel Association reports that tourism in Virginia generated $26 billion in travel spending in 2018. Tourism also supported 235,000 work opportunities for Virginia communities and contributed a total of $1.8 billion in state and local taxes. Increased spending since 2017 is largely attributed to Virginia's tourism promotion and development efforts all around the state, including: new hotels, restaurants, agritourism, craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, cideries, sports, outdoor recreation, festivals and events, meeting and convention venues, attractions and more. Virginia's changing tourism industry makes the Commonwealth a destination for authentic travel experiences and vibrant communities.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation receives its annual economic impact data from the U.S. Travel Association. The information is based on domestic visitor spending (travelers from within the United States) from per-person trips taken 50 miles or more away from home. Detailed economic impact data by locality is available on www.vatc.org under Research.

About the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service

A division within Arlington Economic Development, the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service (ACVS) is Arlington County's official destination marketing organization. Funded primarily through a guest-paid, 1/4-cent tax on hotel rooms, ACVS promotes Arlington as the perfect combination of convenience, value and local flavor for travelers visiting the Washington, D.C., region. For more information on Arlington tourism, visit www.stayarlington.com.