Actions

Tourism in Henrico County ‘steadily becoming a billion-dollar industry’

Posted at 1:02 PM, Sep 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-05 13:06:13-04

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County has been recognized as one of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s leaders in tourism, with more than $900 million in travel spending during 2017, according to a study for the Virginia Tourism Corp.

Generating $915 million in 2017, Henrico County increased tourism spending by 4.1 percent and finished with the highest total in Central Virginia.

“Travelers continue to visit Henrico to take advantage of the many qualities and amenities that make the county a great place to live and work,” County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said.

Officials say historic sites, sports complexes, which hosted 150 tournaments and other events, and attractions like Richmond Raceway and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden helped the county’s economic growth.

“Tourism is steadily becoming a billion-dollar industry for Henrico,” said Vithoulkas. “Whether they’re here for recreation, sports, history, shopping or other entertainment, visitors contribute to Henrico’s high quality of life by staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants and supporting other businesses.”

According to the study, tourism in Henrico helped support nearly 8,600 jobs with a combined payroll income of $223.7 million in 2017.

“Every dollar spent sends ripples through the local economy and helps to fund our schools, parks, public safety and other local services,” Vithoulkas added.

Henrico’s tourist spending ranked fifth in the Commonwealth behind the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and the city of Virginia Beach.

In total, the Richmond region, including, Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Powhatan, and the city of Richmond, generated more than $2.4 billion in travel spending last year.

  • Chesterfield tourism spending: $503,645,415
  • Hanover tourism spending: $246,877,526
  • Powhatan tourism spending: $9,349,186
  • Richmond tourism spending: $761,054,709
CBS6-News-at-4pm-and-Jennifer-Hudson-480x360.jpg

Entertainment

Watch 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' weekdays at 3 p.m. on CBS 6!

📱 Download CBS 6 News App
The app features breaking news alerts, live video, weather radar, traffic incidents, closings and delays and more.