Figures show continued tourism growth in Roanoke Valley

ROANOKE, Va. – New figures show an increase in tourism spending in the Roanoke Valley for the seventh year in a row.

The Roanoke Times reports numbers from the Virginia Tourism Corp. and the U.S. Travel Association show direct travel expenditures by regional visitors grew to about $813 million in 2016. That’s $13 million more than the year before.

Related jobs also grew last year. According to the tourism bureau that represents Roanoke and Salem cities and Roanoke, Franklin and Botetourt counties, tourism-supported jobs increased to 7,878 — 85 jobs more than in 2015.

According to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office, tourism statewide brought in nearly $24 billion in revenue last year, and Virginia welcomed more than 45 million visitors from across the United States, a record high for domestic travel to the Commonwealth.

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Information from: The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com