(Danville) — Tourism is up sharply in Danville and Pittsylvania County. That’s according to the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s 2023 regional economic impact report.
It shows Danville and Pittsylvania County increased the economic impact of short-term visitation by nearly 50-percent from the year before. Short-term visitation added more than 215 million dollars to the local economy and directly supported more than two-thousand local jobs, which added up to more than 60 million dollars in direct local labor income.
“We couldn’t be more excited about what is happening in our region,” Visit SoSi Tourism Manager, Lisa Meriwether said. “Tourism is proving to be big business in Danville and Pittsylvania County and the economic lift it is providing to local citizens seems to grow every single day.”
State-wide, tourism was up ten percent. That puts the state back above pre-pandemic levels. Danville’s economic impact is up 73% over 2019 levels.
“We are continuing to see increased interest, investment, and opportunity across the local tourism economy,” Meriwether said. “I know that the same wonderful assets and attractions that are drawing visitors to the region are the very same attributes that make this region such a great place to live, work, and play. Word is getting out. We are a destination now, and it’s thrilling to see all this momentum continuing to build.”
Last year, the Danville Office of Economic Development & Tourism launched the new regional tourism program and introduced their brand, Visit SoSi. They also developed the region’s first-ever tourism master plan and launched a new regional tourism website, www.visitsosi.com.