ROANOKE, Va. – A record number of tourists continue pouring into the Roanoke Valley.
New numbers from Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge show last year was the eighth year in a row for record tourism growth.
Annual visitor spending is over $813 million and accounts for nearly 8,000 fulltime jobs.
Tourism leaders said a lot of different things are bringing people in, from wineries and breweries to a growing medical community and more.
On Monday, 10 News found some people taking advantage of the outdoor attractions.
"We just did a trail of the Sasquatch and we got these cute little coins… and it took us to places that we hadn't ever been in this area before,” Rocky Mount resident Donna Powers said.
"We've already seen huge action in terms of the number of tournaments that we're bringing in and the diversity of different sports that we're hosting," Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge President Landon Howard said.
So far this year, hotel revenue in the Roanoke Valley is already up 11.5 percent.