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February 11, 2022
Dear Valued Tourism Industry Partners,
This weekend kicks off the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Domestic Showcase ‘22. Our ambassadors and greeters are already welcoming early arrivals! From airport welcome teams to tour guides, everyone involved is buzzing with excitement as we look forward to showing off our favorite city with some trademark VB hospitality. We look forward to working with you all to recognize the attendees, who will be wearing the Domestic Showcase Welcome logo, pictured above, on their conference lanyards as they explore their host city. Please share with your staff, too!
Recent Study Shows American Travel Sentiment Improving
According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers, the rapid decline in new COVID-19 cases nationally has travelers gearing up planning for both domestic and international travel. The percentage of travelers who say that coronavirus will greatly affect their decision to travel in the next six months dropped from 32% in early January to 24% in early February. And the number of travelers who reported they are changing their travel plans because of COVID-19 fell from 58% to 49% in the same time period. When asked about the impact of COVID-19 on their travel plans within the next six months, more than 50% said they were planning to travel domestically by car. This is fantastic news for Virginia Beach as we are positioned within a days’ drive from two-thirds of the U.S. population. The full study link may be found here.
U.S. Travel Association State of Travel Industry Replay
Last week U.S. Travel Association (USTA) CEO Roger Dow appeared at The National Press Club to present his “State of the Travel Industry” address. In addition to other remarks, Dow highlighted five key areas of focus that will drive USTA and the broader travel industry in the months and years ahead: workforce, facilitation and security, the future of travel mobility, sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. See the entire replay here.
There are less than 30 days until the 50th anniversary of the Shamrock Marathon Weekend! Sign up here. I’ll see you there!
My team and I remain committed to you and our industry. Please let us know how we can assist you.
Cheers,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
nhelman@visitvirginiabeach.com
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