DANVILLE, Va. – Tourism continues to grow rapidly in Danville and Pittsylvania County, with visitor spending increasing by more than 50% in 2025 and reaching a record $415.2 million, according to new data from the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
The region’s visitor spending increased 50.9% compared with 2024, making Danville and Pittsylvania County the fastest-growing locality in Virginia for visitor spending for the second consecutive year.
“When those numbers came out two weeks ago for our locality, it took my breath away,” said Lisa Meriwether, tourism manager for Visit SoSi.
The growth comes as the region continues to promote attractions and events including Caesars Virginia, VIRginia International Raceway, the Danville Science Center, the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex and numerous festivals and events.
Recreation spending accounted for $207 million of the region’s total visitor spending, an 86.9% increase from the previous year. That category includes spending at attractions, events and recreational destinations.
Meriwether said the region’s tourism promotion efforts are relatively new but are beginning to produce measurable results.
“Once we started to get that research, understand where our visitors were coming from, we could start to really intentionally market to these folks, and people started to come,” Meriwether said.
The tourism growth is also having an impact on local businesses.
At Links Coffee House in downtown Danville, barista Lila Headden said the business has seen increased foot traffic, particularly during events.
“We’ve had a lot more customers. We have a lot more foot traffic,” Headden said.
Headden, who has lived in Danville for about 10 years, said the increased activity has also created more opportunities for workers.
“Days look different, scheduling looks different, we have to accommodate for all the customers, especially for events that are down here,” she said. “We have to have more girls working. We make more tips.”
Tourism supported 3,941 jobs in Danville and Pittsylvania County in 2025, a 20% increase from the previous year. Tourism-related labor income also increased 26.57%.
The industry generated $18.7 million in local tax revenue for the region, while state tax collections tied to visitation increased 78.77%. Local tax collections increased 44.49%.
The increase in tourism spending also comes as Caesars Virginia entered its first full year of operation included in the tourism data.
However, Meriwether said the region’s growth extends beyond the casino.
Even without Caesars Virginia included in the figures, visitor spending increased by over 30%, according to Visit SoSi.
“We are delighted to remain the fastest-growing locality for visitor spending in Virginia — a place travelers are just beginning to discover,” Meriwether said. “So many people across our community have worked incredibly hard to get us where we are today, and I’d tell anyone who hasn’t been to this part of the state in a while, it’s definitely time to come see what you’ve been missing!”
The growth in Danville and Pittsylvania County is part of a larger statewide increase.
Virginia recorded $36.2 billion in visitor spending in 2025, a 3.1% increase, or $1.1 billion, from 2024. The state also welcomed a record 46.6 million domestic and international overnight visitors, nearly 1 million more than the previous year.
Visitors spent an average of $99 million per day in Virginia in 2025, up from $96 million in 2024.
Tourism directly supported nearly 232,000 jobs statewide and generated $10.6 billion in wages and salaries. The industry also generated more than $2.6 billion in state and local tax revenue.
According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the economic activity generated by visitors saved the average Virginia household an estimated $1,020 in state and local taxes while helping fund public services including schools, public safety and transportation.
Leisure travel accounted for 90% of overnight visitation statewide.
The Virginia Tourism Corporation said its annual economic impact figures are based on domestic and international visitor spending from per-person trips. The data includes visitors who stayed overnight or traveled more than 50 miles to their destination.