As the commonwealth prepares to welcome visitors for America’s 250th birthday celebration this summer, newly released data from Richmond Region Tourism shows the capital area was already building tourism momentum in 2025.

The Richmond area welcomed 19.1 million visitors last year, an increase of about 800,000 over 2024, according to data released Thursday by the region’s tourism bureau.

The area, which includes Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and New Kent counties plus the cities of Colonial Heights, Ashland, and Richmond, saw 7.3 million overnight trips, an increase of 5.5% year-over-year. Hotel occupancy also outperformed state and national rates in 11 out of the 12 months, the tourism bureau said.

That visitor momentum appears to be continuing so far this year. Hotel occupancy was 60% in February, a 4% increase over the same month last year, and March occupancy was 70%, slightly higher than the year before, said Katherine O’Donnell, president and CEO of Richmond Region Tourism.

Last year’s increase in tourism was driven by a handful of factors, O’Donnell said. 

One is that the organization has more resources thanks to the Tourism Improvement District, a 2% assessment on lodging businesses with more than 41 rooms in Chesterfield, Hanover, and Henrico counties, as well as Richmond and Ashland. TID funds are used for sales, marketing, and promotions to drive tourists to the area. 

Collections began in July 2023, and since then ad campaigns funded by the TID generated about 11,000 room nights and $1.7 million in room revenue in six months, according to the tourism bureau.

But the increase in tourism is also a testament to the community, O’Donnell said, which continues to invest in reasons for people to visit, like the new Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront.

“We have more and more reasons for people to come – it’s sort of like a rising tide scenario,” she said.

This year, the 2026 National Speech & Debate Tournament will bring 7,000 students to Richmond in June, O’Donnell said. That same month, the TBEX travel blogger exchange will bring 300-400 content creators to the city, where they will go on tours and immerse themselves in the area. 

Then there’s the 250th anniversary celebration, which has events sprinkled throughout the year, O’Donnell said. The Virginia Museum of History & Culture will celebrate the semiquincentennial with IllumiNATION, a nighttime spectacular featuring a projection of video art on its exterior. 

There’s also Richmond SailFest, a weekend-long festival featuring international tall ships and military ships in the James River.

“It’s a very strong summer outlook,” O’Donnell said. 

The semiquincentennial celebration is expected to bring 7 million to 10 million visitors to Virginia, according to VA250, the group in charge of the celebration; the crowning event is the Fourth of July fireworks celebration at Colonial Williamsburg.

Nationally, hotel occupancy for 2025 fell 1.2% to 62.3%, the first decline since 2020, according to hospitality data from CoStar Group. The average daily hotel room rate in the U.S. was $160.54, and hotels collected $100.02 in revenue per available room. 

Visitor spending numbers for the Richmond region will be released in the fall, the tourism bureau said.

CoStar is a sponsor of The Richmonder but was not allowed to influence or review this story.