VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — On Nov. 15, the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau announced an increase in Virginia Beach tourism in 2022 over previous years.

The impact study found that the city had around 13.6 million visitors in 2022, and around $2.4 billion in spending — an increase of around $300 million from 2021, and a $460 million increase from spending in 2019.

Including indirect and induced effects, the tourism resulted in a $3.7 billion total for 2022. The impact had a ripple effect on the community, allowing the sustainability of around 33,000 jobs — about 20% of all jobs in the city, according to a release.

Food and beverage were the leading cause of spending with an outstanding $1 billion, while lodging accounted for around $661 million. Transportation and recreational activities came next with 11% of the spending and retail at 9% of total spending.

Around 74% were repeat visitors and 42% visited within the last 12 months.

The study was conducted by Tourism Economics, a subsidiary of Oxford Economics.

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