Sports tourism generated billions for Virginia
Big ticket and community sports events scored big time for the Virginia economy last year.
Sports tourism in Virginia generated $2.7 billion in direct spending in 2022, up 12% on the previous year.
It was driven by 12.1 million sports travelers who participated in tournaments or attended other sports related events.
Sports tourism in 2022 accounted for nearly 8% of Virginia’s overall visitor economy.
It directly contributed $2.4 billion in visitor spending.
Sports fans and participants spent $7.3 million every day in Virginia.
The sports tourism industry employed more than 28,000 Virginians and drove $344 million in state and local tax revenues, the Virginia Tourism Corporation says.
Among the industries impacted by travel, the largest contribution from sports tourism was the food and beverage sector.
“We are thrilled to see how sports tourism helped power Virginia’s tourism recovery,” said Dan Roberts, Vice President of Research & Strategy for Virginia Tourism Corporation.
“These numbers show the significant impact sports tourism has on the economic growth of communities across the Commonwealth.”
The highest concentration of total sports spending is the Central and Southern Virginia region, including Richmond and Lynchburg..
The Northern Virginia region, comprising the Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William areas, ranks as the second-highest region, generating $758 million in sports spending in 2022.
In 2020, the sports tourism sector in Virginia experienced a significant decline due to the pandemic, with a 38% reduction in visitation and a 47% decrease in spending.
However, sports tourism played a key role in Virginia’s recovery from the pandemic.
To further speed up the recovery, Virginia Tourism Corporation used $1 million of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support a Sports Marketing Incentive Program.
The funds were used for event incentives and marketing promotions targeted specifically at attracting new sports tournaments and competitions.
Virginia Tourism Corporation collaborated with Tourism Economics to conduct this wide-ranging impact study.
The study includes only adult and youth amateur tournaments plus collegiate tournaments featuring participants or spectators traveling more than 50 miles or staying overnight.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026