West Virginia ranked number one for having highest tourism ratio in the country
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Jim Justice released a statement highlighting a recent study that recognizes West Virginia as the state with the highest 2024 out of state tourism rate in the country:
“While serving as Governor, I made it a priority to show the world our great state and the great people of West Virginia – I’m proud to see that work paying off. This investment is now bearing fruit, as Americans are coming in droves to see our beautiful towns, state forests, our new state park at Summersville Lake, and our new national park at New River Gorge. I encourage the current Administration, as well as the state legislature, to recognize this great achievement and to keep pushing to bring more tourists and more goodness to our state – West Virginians depend on it,” said Senator Jim Justice.
BACKGROUND:
- A recent report highlights West Virginia’s out-of-state tourist rate as the highest in the nation – a tourism rate almost 42X the number of residents in the state according to the report.
- Departing office in 2025, Senator Justice announced as Governor that tourists had spent $9 billion in West Virginia – thanks to hundreds of millions invested in his “tourism works” program.
- Under Senator Justice’s leadership as Governor, West Virginia began experiencing explosive growth in tourism around 2019. Total visitor spending reached $6.3 billion in 2023, according to the 2023 tourism economic impact report, which is 23% higher than in 2019 compared to 9% growth nationally.
- West Virginia’s 36 state parks draw more than 7 million tourists every year.
- New River Gorge National Park alone saw record visitation in 2024.