The state of citizen-led tourism in Virginia

Virginia’s travel sector is witnessing a transformative era, generating $30.3 billion in visitor spending in 2022, an increase of 20.3% from 2021 and exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 4.4%. 

Last year, Virginians opened their homes to more than one million guests in cities, counties, and towns where there are no hotels present–and 34% percent of surveyed guests to Virginia reported that they would not have visited the location they stayed in if they did not book through Airbnb¹.

Today, Airbnb is sharing our latest local data that not only highlights our role in diversifying travel but also underscores the pivotal contributions of our Hosts in revitalizing local economies across the Commonwealth. Virginia’s Airbnb Host community represent a diverse cross-section of Virginia’s resilient spirit and expand Virginia’s travel footprint, especially in areas traditionally underserved by the hotel industry²:

• 68% of census tracts in Virginia are home to Airbnb listings but no hotels, demonstrating the platform’s ability to bring tourism to new, often overlooked areas.
• These areas welcomed approximately 1.06 million guests who have checked into an Airbnb, showcasing our effectiveness in redistributing tourism benefits across the state.
• A significant number of Hosts are small business owners, artists, educators, and individuals affected by the pandemic, and 67% of Hosts in Virginia self-reported as women. 
• Airbnb has been a financial lifeline for many, with 69% of Hosts saying they plan to use the extra income from hosting to cover the heightened cost of living over the next 12 months. 43% of Hosts in the state saying that the income from Airbnb helped them stay in their homes. Nearly 10% of Hosts credit Airbnb with helping them avoid eviction or foreclosure.

Tourism taxes are key revenue-generating mechanisms for jurisdictions across Virginia

Tourism taxes are a vital source of funding for local governments and the communities they support, especially in areas that saw revenue streams decimated by the pandemic. Many major cities in North America experienced a dramatic drop in tax dollars that historically came from their downtown and office space markets. From October to April 2022 Airbnb collected from our Hosts and guests, and remitted to the VA Tax authority and over 200+ local jurisdictions, approximately $23 million in state and local hotel tax revenue. For example, in these specific localities, our guest contributions remitted by us, include approximately³:

• $110,500 to Shenandoah County 
• $1.4M to the City of Virginia Beach
• $161,100 to the City of Portsmouth
• $458,000 to the City of Charlottesville
• $280,000 to Albemarle County 

Virginia’s Airbnb Hosts are welcoming guests from around the world into their homes to experience all that the state has to offer⁴:  

Supporting the future of the Commonwealth

Airbnb is committed to supporting fair and modernized regulations that benefit both Hosts and local communities. Looking ahead, we aim to work closely with Virginia’s policymakers, drawing on our global experience to build a sustainable, inclusive travel economy that benefits all stakeholders. As we continue to play a pivotal role in Virginia’s travel and economic recovery, our commitment to community empowerment, fair regulation, and inclusive growth remains stronger than ever.