Henrico reports $1.9 billion in revenue from tourism in 2023

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Visitor spending in Henrico County hit nearly $2 billion in 2023 and officials largely attribute that success to its booming sports tourism industry.

The Henrico Sports and Events Center, which started hosting events last October, is just one of the county’s sites for sports lovers. Henrico is also the home of the Richmond Raceway and the Country Club of Virginia James River Course, where the Dominion Energy Charity Classic is hosted annually.

“Those things rolled in together are just really, really pushing this visitor spending to to new heights,” said Dennis Bickmeier, Executive Director of the Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority.

About $72.4 million of the $1.9 billion spent by visitors in 2023 were directly thanks to sporting events and the fans they attracted to Henrico.

“They’re coming in, they’re staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, using transportation services here throughout the county and certainly visiting our attractions,” Bickmeier said.

With an increase of 9.2% from the year before, Henrico had the fifth-highest revenue from tourism out of all Virginia counties in 2023. Since the Henrico Sports & Events Center has only been hosting events since October, Bickmeier said he can only imagine how much revenue the facility can make from an entire year of events.

“I think one of the things I’m most proud of is just the new building is doing what we thought it was going to do,” Bickmeier said. “I mean, it is a busy facility — 46 weekends in 2024 booked — and so we’re seeing so many out-of-town visitors come and compete here against a lot of our local teams.”

Henrico’s Sports and Entertainment Authority is looking forward to opening up 12 pickleball courts at Pouncey Tract Park, likely within the next month. Bickmeier said it’s all about continuing to build momentum and shining the spotlight on local sports opportunities and growth.

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