evidence: Visitor spending has grown more than 30%—or more than $1 billion a year—since 2016, despite a global pandemic.Traveler spending in West Virginia contributes significantly to the state’s economy. Food and beverage spending topped $1.4 billion in 2022. Lodging spending surpassed $800 million for the first time ever, led by a 275% increase in short-term rental revenue since 2019. Visitor spending generated $887 million in tax revenues last year, with $520 million going directly to our state and local governments. Tourism-generated tax dollars contributed approximately $715 per household to maintaining government services.These record-breaking tourism numbers were presented at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism being held at Canaan Valley Resort State Park. In remarks at the conference, Gov. Justice recognized the more than 300 industry officials on site and the important role they’ve played in growing the tourism economy. "You’ve done an unbelievable job taking our state’s tourism industry to the next level, and I could not be more proud," Gov. Justice said. "All we needed to do was show the world what we already knew we had in West Virginia, and now with these numbers today, it’s truly amazing to see what we have achieved.