Richmond Region Tourism reports record visitor spending; Hanover sees hotel occupancy and revenue gains

Catherine O’Donnell, president/CEO of Richmond Region Tourism, updated the Hanover County Board on regional tourism figures and programs, reporting continued post‑pandemic growth in visitor spending and hotel sales and noting sports tourism and events as a key strength for Hanover.

O’Donnell said Richmond Region tourism covers seven localities and that regional cooperation helps capture visitor spending across jurisdictional lines. For calendar 2023, she reported nearly $230 million in visitor spending in Hanover County, producing nearly $11 million in tax receipts, supporting about 2,300 jobs and roughly $75 million in wages for county residents. She also said Hotel room revenue in a recent fiscal year approached $40 million; Hanover posted a 10% increase in occupancy and a 2% increase in revenue in the last calendar year.

Daniela Fitzhugh described workforce-development and outreach programs that Richmond Region Tourism and partners run with local CTE programs and community organizations to promote tourism careers and elevate sports tourism. O’Donnell highlighted recent event wins and bookings for Hanover, including USA Track & Field events, NCAA Division I cross country (to be held at Pole Green Park in 2027), and other national championships that the region bid for and won.

Why it matters: O’Donnell told supervisors tourism supports local businesses, jobs and quality of life; the region’s tourism improvement district (a 2% fee passed earlier) gives the region steady funding for year‑round marketing and trade-show promotion, which the tourism office said has increased brand lift and likely travel intent.

Board response: Supervisors thanked the presenters and noted the region’s sports events bring out-of-area visitors; no board actions or votes resulted from the presentation.

Ending: The presenters said they would take questions; none were recorded and the board proceeded to the next item.