BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – New River Gorge National Park and Preserve saw a record 1,811,937 visitors in 2024, marking a 6.31% increase from 2023.
This surge outpaced the overall growth in National Park Service visitation, which rose by 2% across the agency’s 443 sites. Nationwide, the park system welcomed 331 million visitors in 2024.
The increased visitation aligns with a boost in visitor spending across the region.
In 2023, the nine-county area surrounding the park—Fayette, Greenbrier, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Raleigh, Summers, and Wyoming—generated $1.2 billion in visitor spending.
This marks a significant rise from the $881 million recorded in 2019, prior to the park’s redesignation.
Spending includes purchases at local businesses such as hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, gas stations, and outdoor recreation outfitters.
Visit Southern West Virginia continues to promote the region through social media campaigns and brochure distribution.
The organization’s Facebook page reaches an average of 234,816 accounts weekly, with some posts attracting over a million views from audiences in 10 countries.
Additionally, the group collaborates with influencers and distributes approximately 400,000 brochures and visitor guides each year to connect tourists with local businesses.
Outdoor recreation sites like New River Gorge National Park and Preserve remain a vital driver of Southern West Virginia’s tourism industry and economy.
“Working in the tourism industry for over 30 years, it has been so exciting to watch new visitors discover West Virginia,” said Lisa Strader, Executive Director of Visit Southern West Virginia.
“The New River Gorge has always been an integral part of our destination, but with the park designation, we have seen visitors from further away, staying longer and spending more throughout our region.”
