Virginia’s travel slogan for years has been “Virginia Is For Lovers.” Now, it should be “Virginia is for International Travelers.” According to a joint statement by the Governor’s office and the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Virginia posted a 16 percent increase in visits from overseas travelers in 2009. This is great news, especially considering the economic recession and a decrease in international travelers nationally.
This information comes from the 2009 Overseas Visitation to U.S. States, Cities and Traveler Characteristics Data report.
“Of the 20 states/territories for which estimates are available, double-digit declines were suffered by 10 states. Virginia visitation increased by 16 percent, leading growth among the six states posting growth in 2009. International visits to Virginia grew from 329,000 in 2008 to 380,000 in 2009. Virginia moved up from 18 to 14 in ranking for overseas visitors to U.S. States.”
Governor Bob McDonnell said,
“This is tremendous news for Virginia. Even in a difficult economy, individuals from across the world are seeking out Virginia for business and vacation. Our commitment to expanding resources for tourism and aggressively marketing Virginia overseas will help us further capitalize on this growth and increase the revenue generated by visitors to our state. The more visitors we welcome, the more jobs we create and the quicker our economy will rebound. By taking proactive steps, such as opening new trade offices in Great Britain, China and India in the year ahead, we will build on this positive development.”
This is good news for Virginia’s tourism industry by generating $19.2 billion in revenue and boosting employment.
