Foreigners traveling to Virginia doled out more money in 2010 than ever before, a new study shows.
However the same report found 11,000 less overseas visitors came to the state in 2010 than in 2009, a 3 percent decline, and noted Virginia is struggling to attract tourists from new markets.
International marketing group Capital Region USA reported Tuesday that overseas travelers spent a record $321 million in Virginia in 2010, a 12 percent increase from 2009. And Canadians coming to the commonwealth spent $133 million in 2010, up almost 17 percent from the previous year.
“Tourism is an instant revenue generator that keeps our economy moving and employs hundreds of thousands of Virginians,” said Gov. Bob McDonnell. “These new figures show that Virginia is doing an excellent job in reaching out to international travelers and positioning Virginia as a premier travel destination.”
McDonnell’s administration credits the state’s marketing campaign in Canada for the increase in visitors from our northern neighbor. Nearly 575,000 Canadians traveled to Virginia in 2010.
A bulk of the overseas travelers came from the United Kingdom and Germany, the primary market for Capital Region USA. And while Virginia’s share of the UK market is strong, the number of visitors from fast-growing, emerging markets is “down or sluggish,” the report said, causing the overall decline in overseas tourists.
Capital Region USA promotes international tourism to Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The $17 billion Virginia tourism industry generates $1.24 billion in state and local taxes and provides 204,500 jobs.
