Bedford County Smashes Records With More Than Eighty Million Usd In Tourism Spending, Skyrocketing To Unprecedented Heights In 2024, New Update Is Here

Published on September 15, 2025

By: Tuhin Sarkar

In 2024, Bedford County smashed records, generating much than $82 cardinal successful tourism spending. This singular accomplishment highlights nan area’s exponential maturation and solidifies its position arsenic a apical destination successful Virginia. The county’s tourism surge has been driven by its divers attractions, from nan scenic beauty of nan Blue Ridge Parkway to nan humanities value of nan National D-Day Memorial.

With a 25.2% summation successful visitant spending since 2016, Bedford County is now a nationalist leader successful tourism growth. The record-breaking figures not only show nan rising fame of nan region but besides show its expanding effect connected nan section economy.

As tourism continues to skyrocket, Bedford County is poised to stay astatine nan forefront of Virginia’s recreation industry, attracting much visitors and boosting section businesses. This outstanding milestone signals a agleam early for Bedford’s tourism sector.

Tourism successful Bedford County has reached unprecedented heights successful 2024, contributing a monumental $82.2 cardinal successful spending. This exceptional maturation outpaces Virginia’s wide tourism summation and underscores nan county’s rising value arsenic a must-visit destination. This boost has besides translated into occupation creation, section taxation revenue, and location prosperity, making tourism a cornerstone of Bedford’s economy.

Tourism Revenue Drives Economic Growth successful Bedford County

In 2024, Bedford County saw an bonzer summation successful tourism, pinch visitant spending surging by 25.2% since 2016. The region generated an awesome $82.2 cardinal successful spending, acold surpassing nan 20.9% maturation complaint seen crossed nan authorities of Virginia. This emergence signals not only nan increasing entreaty of Bedford’s attractions but besides nan captious domiciled tourism plays successful nan region’s economical health.

The county’s tourism manufacture has blossomed into a cardinal driver of section employment. In 2024, 583 jobs were sustained by visitant activity, up from nan erstwhile year. Additionally, tourism contributed $3 cardinal successful section taxation revenue, further underlining its captious domiciled successful supporting Bedford’s nationalist services and infrastructure.

The Strategic Role of Destination Bedford successful Driving Growth

Bedford County’s tourism maturation is partially owed to nan relentless efforts of Destination Bedford. Since nan motorboat of nan Destination Bedford brand, nan region has knowledgeable dependable gains successful some visitant postulation and awareness. The DestinationBedfordVA.com website unsocial saw a 2.5% summation successful visitors successful 2024, pinch astir 59,000 users accessing nan site. This beardown engagement is simply a testament to nan effectiveness of nan region’s trading strategies and nan increasing nationalist nickname of its attractions.

Destination Bedford’s trading campaigns person been strategical and far-reaching. The region collaborates pinch salient partners specified arsenic nan Blue Ridge Parkway Association and Virginia’s Blue Ridge to beforehand nan area’s outdoor adventures, historical sites, and yearly events. Their multi-channel advertizing strategy, which spans digital, print, radio, and billboards, ensures Bedford remains apical of mind for imaginable tourists, some successful Virginia and beyond.

Impact of Tourism connected Local Employment and Economy

In 2024, nan Bedford tourism manufacture not only knowledgeable financial maturation but besides provided a important boost to section employment. With tourism supporting 583 jobs, nan section system has felt nan affirmative ripple effects of nan surge successful visitors. The influx of tourism dollars intends much opportunities for locals successful hospitality, retail, and different work industries that cater to tourists. These positions lend straight to nan county’s wide employment figures and thief support its economical stability.

Moreover, visitant spending supports various sectors, pinch lodging and nutrient & beverage starring nan charge. In 2024, Bedford saw $29.3 cardinal spent connected lodging and $23.5 cardinal connected nutrient and beverages, highlighting nan value of accommodation and eating services to nan area’s tourism industry. As visitors flock to Bedford for its unsocial offerings, section businesses proceed to reap nan rewards, fostering a beardown consciousness of economical vitality passim nan region.

Bedford’s Growing Reputation arsenic a Tourism Hub

The region’s tourism entreaty is connected nan rise, pinch Bedford becoming a salient sanction successful Virginia’s tourism scene. The Blue Ridge Parkway and nan National D-Day Memorial, 2 nationally recognized attractions, lend importantly to Bedford’s reputation, drafting visitors from each crossed nan country. These attractions are complemented by nan county’s thriving outdoor recreation options, specified arsenic hiking, fishing, and disc golf, which person placed Bedford connected nan world stage.

According to Bedford County Tourism Director, Nicole Johnson, nan return of group autobus recreation and nan anticipated opening of a caller edifice will only fortify nan county’s position arsenic a premier destination for overnight visitors. Bedford is besides progressively known for hosting sporting events, peculiarly successful disc golf, which continues to pull a world audience. This increasing nickname signals that Bedford is quickly becoming a must-visit location for visitors seeking unsocial experiences.

Local Engagement and Digital Marketing Strategies

Digital trading has played a pivotal domiciled successful Bedford’s tourism success. The Destination Bedford website saw a important uptick successful traffic, acknowledgment successful portion to nan county’s continuous finance successful targeted advertising. The website has go a superior assets for imaginable visitors, offering elaborate accusation astir section attractions, events, and recreation tips. The county’s societal media beingness is besides strong, pinch aggregate channels including Destination Bedford VA, Bedford Area Welcome Center, and Bottled successful Bedford, among others, connecting straight pinch some locals and travelers.

The occurrence of these online efforts tin beryllium attributed to nan targeted, co-op campaigns Bedford has undertaken pinch different location tourism boards. For example, partnerships pinch nan Shenandoah Valley Travel Association and Virginia’s Blue Ridge person helped to raise consciousness of Bedford arsenic portion of a broader Virginia tourism initiative. These efforts person been basal successful promoting nan county’s divers attractions to a wide audience, ensuring Bedford remains a apical destination for years to come.

Visitor Spending Breakdown successful Bedford County

The effect of tourism connected Bedford County’s system is reflected successful nan breakdown of visitant spending by sector. In 2024, spending connected lodging accounted for nan largest portion, pinch $29.3 cardinal spent connected accommodations. Food and beverage spending followed intimately behind, totaling $23.5 million. Transportation and recreation besides saw important contributions, pinch visitors spending $13.2 cardinal and $9.6 million, respectively.

Retail spending besides played a captious role, amounting to $6.6 million. This is suggestive of nan divers scope of activities and experiences disposable to visitors successful Bedford. Whether visitors are enjoying outdoor activities, attending section events, aliases exploring nan region’s rich | history, nan region offers thing for each type of traveler. This diversified spending helps cushion nan section economy, ensuring that tourism benefits aggregate sectors simultaneously.

The Road Ahead for Bedford’s Tourism Industry

Looking to nan future, Bedford County’s tourism manufacture shows nary signs of slowing down. The region is group to proceed its upward trajectory, bolstered by caller developments, including nan upcoming edifice and nan increasing fame of sporting events. As tourism infrastructure continues to expand, Bedford will beryllium amended positioned to accommodate nan expanding number of visitors, further solidifying its position arsenic a premier destination successful Virginia.

With ongoing investments successful trading and strategical partnerships, Bedford is poised to support its momentum. The county’s tourism agency remains committed to engaging caller and repetition visitors done innovative integer campaigns, partnerships, and events. As Bedford continues to showcase its unsocial offerings, nan early of tourism successful nan region looks brighter than ever.