Tourism Supplied 210,000 Virginia Jobs in 2007

Recent statistics show that Virginia jobs in Halifax in the tourism industry grew in 2007, according to the county's Department of Tourism. All together, the sector employed over 500 people, generated more than $2 million in taxes. Visitors to the area spent approximately $35.4 million in the community.

"In a very challenging and competitive market, tourism in Halifax County continues to demonstrate growth," said Halifax County's Director of Tourism, Linda Shepperd. "This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of organizations and attractions, public and private, that continue to offer events and activities that attract thousands of visitors to our communities each year."

Virginia is still one of the most popular locations in the country for tourists to visit during their vacations. This industry continues to make a huge contribution to area’s revenue.

Statewide, data for 2007 shows that visitors to Virginia spent $18.7 billion, which was an increase of 5.8 percent from the previous year. This means that the state is well over the national domestic travel increase of 4.7 percent. Altogether, the tourism industry employed 210,000 Virginia residents. According to the statistics, if tourism was considered its own industry, then it would be the 6th largest employer in the state.

"Tourism has such a positive financial impact on Virginia as a whole and on local areas as well," said the Virginia Tourism Corporation's president and CEO, Alisa Bailey. "You can see how so many of our localities depend on tourism to bring in money and sustain jobs that otherwise would not exist."

Problems with the economy this year may make the statistics for 2008 less positive than those most recently reported. Since many people across the nation now have less disposable income, there is a good chance that tourism growth will have slowed down slightly.