RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Gov. Terry McAuliffe says tourism revenues increased more than 4 percent from 2013 to $22.4 billion last year.

The governor said Monday that the tourism industry supported nearly 217,000 jobs and pumped more than $1.5 billion into the state and local economies in 2014. State and local revenues were up 5.6 percent from 2013.

Officials say the travel industry was the fifth largest private employer in the state last year and made up 7 percent of Virginia’s total private employment. Domestic travelers spent $61 million a day in the state.