Virginia had a record year for international tourists last year, hosting more than 1.1 million foreign visitors who spent a record $2 billion.
Since 2009, Virginia has seen a 22% increase in international visitors, and its 5% growth in international tourists last year outpaced the national rate of 3.2%.
Canada was the top source for foreign visitors to Virginia last year, accounting for almost half of international travelers. Europe accounted for 29%, and the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 17%.
Asian tourists are expected to increase to 20% by 2028, according to the Virginia Tourism Corp., and the annual number of foreign tourists in Virginia is expected to grow to 1.5 million in the next 10 years.
Foreign tourists are a fraction of Virginia’s overall tourism numbers, but foreign visitors tend to spend more.
All counted, the Virginia tourism industry generated a record $26 billion in spending last year, and 40% of that was spent in Northern Virginia.
Tourism is the fifth-largest employer in Virginia. It supported an estimated 234,000 jobs statewide in 2018, according to the Virginia Tourism Corp.
