Lets take a look into the economics of things!!
This data is for James County, which is where Willamsburg is located. Our three main points to look at are Visitor spending, Employment numbers, and Total Business sales.
| Visitor spending: |
| 2016: $25 million |
| 2017: $26 million |
| 2018: $27 million |
| 2019: $29 million |
| 2020 (Covid): $17 million |
| 2021: $25 million |
| 2022: $30 million |
| Employment Numbers : |
| 2016: 233 thousand |
| 2017: 236 thousand |
| 2018: 238 thousand |
| 2019: 240 thousand |
| 2020 (Covid): 170 thousand |
| 2021:185 thousand |
| 2022: 210 thousand |
| Total Business Sales: |
| 2016: $ 44 million |
| 2017: $ 43 million |
| 2018: $ 46 million |
| 2019: $ 48 milliom |
| 2020 (Covid): $ 29 million |
| 2021: $ 39 million |
| 2022: $ 46 million |
Looking at this data, it’s evident that 2019 hit a peak number before the COVID-19 pandemic, where there is valley amount. “In 2021, according to Busch Gardens Williamsburg President Kevin Lembke, in the past 30 to 60 days, they have seen a steady increase in park goers and he expects those numbers will continue to climb even in the off-season. The new rise in numbers isn’t just limited to Busch Gardens but rather the entirety of the Williamsburg district,” ( Daily press May 2021)
