|
March 10, 2023
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
It is always a pleasure to share good news and I’m thrilled that the timing couldn’t be better for Virginia Beach to be mentioned in a Travel + Leisure feature of The Best Places to Travel in May 2023. This article is tied directly to recent CVB press outreach and correspondence with writer Patricia Doherty. Don’t miss this great read! Additionally, we’re heading into a huge weekend for sports in Virginia Beach! At the Virginia Beach Sports Center, we’re hosting the 2023 NCAA D-II Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships. Some of the top collegiate track and field athletes in the country will be competing for NCAA highest honors. This action-packed competition will include approximately 540 athletes representing colleges and universities from all over the country
National Travel & Tourism Week Nominations Close Today - Thanks to your support and help in getting the word out, we currently have more than 85 nominations for our NTTW judging panel to consider when they convene later this month. The submission deadline ends today at 5 pm so there’s still time to get a nomination. The easy-to-submit online form may be found here. We are on target for a grand celebration on May 11; stay tuned for luncheon details which will be released soon!
Atlantic Avenue Leveling Work to Begin Tuesday - Leveling work on the east and west sidewalks along Atlantic Avenue will begin the week of Tuesday, Mar. 14 and is targeted for completion in May. Work will begin in the Rudee Loop area and is scheduled for completion of 3 - 4 blocks per day. It is described as low impact work. The immediate area of repair will be surrounded by a 10-12’ perimeter for safety reasons. Plumes of dust can be anticipated as the higher edge of the concrete sections are planed even with the lower sections. Every effort will be made to mitigate disruption to the farthest extent possible. Call the Resort Management Office at (757) 385-4800 for more information.
Shamrock Marathon Weekend March 18-19, 2023 - Please take note and help get the word out in advance to your guests and staff that on March 18, the Shamrock 8k will close portions of Pacific Ave, Atlantic Ave, 25th Street, 27th Street, 37th Street, and the boardwalk. As well, please be aware that on March 19, the full and half marathon will result in partial road closures in the resort area. The official Road Closure notice can be found here. For race/registration information, course maps, and more, click here
Beyond Van Gogh, The Immersive Experience Comes to Convention Center – Tickets are now on sale now for one of the one most highly-anticipated exhibits of the summer! Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience comes to Virginia Beach in partnership with Virginia Arts Festival July 6th through Sept, 2nd. Imagine being completely immersed in more than 300 of the greatest works of post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. Now imagine experiencing all of this art liberated from its two-dimensional limitations into a three-dimensional experience that exhilarates every sense and brings to life one of the most influential artists the world has known. It’s all part of Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, produced in partnership with Paquin Entertainment Group, which has sold over 5 million tickets globally making it one of the most popular current traveling exhibitions. The sensory extravaganza will open in Virginia Beach at Virginia Beach Convention Center (Exhibit Hall A) on Thursday, July 6th, 2023. While journeying through Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience guests witness more than 300 iconic masterpieces, including such instantly recognizable classics as “The Starry Night,” “Sunflowers,” and “Café Terrace at Night,” as well as many revealing self-portraits. Find out more information and get tickets here.
Sales Activity - This week, more than half of the sales team is on travel in the DC/Northern (NOVA) region of our beautiful Commonwealth. Sally Noona, Amy Overstreet and Dee Mittman are attending the Power of Purpose Business Events Industry Week in DC. Jamie Mitchell is sponsoring a Virginia Society of Association Executives seminar in NOVA and making sales calls. Scott Warren has a major site visit with Christian Counseling Education Foundation (CCEF). Our services team will accompany him as they will be providing and preparing for CCEF’s housing and transportation needs during their fall event. Kelli attended a press conference at Norfolk International Airport for the initial launch of Spirit Airlines, which will offer non-stop service to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. Spirit will also offer connection options to destinations such as the Caribbean and Latin America, according to information found online. Visitor Information Center staff has been hard at work shipping 200 boxes containing over 1,400 of our updated 2023 Virginia Beach Destination Lookbooks and brochures. Boxes of this new collateral which describes updated attractions and ways for visitors to engage with what our city has to offer were requested from AAA offices and VA State Welcome Centers.
Convention Center Activity - This weekend the VBCC welcomes Cheer & Dance Extreme’s Championship by the Sea Cheer Finals and on Sunday the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad’s Annual Oyster Roast. Tickets are still on sale for both events, and it promises to be a busy weekend with fun for all ages! The Convention Center then begins preparations for Virginia Beach’s State of the City lunch hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber on Wednesday and on Friday rolls right into the festivities for the Shamrock Marathon and related races.
March Into Spring at Town Center - From dining to shopping and the arts, there is something for everyone at the beautiful Town Center of Virginia Beach. Find their Spring Calendar of Events here.
Events & Happenings
Our current Calendar of Events is available here. Take a look and see more of what’s on the horizon for the first half of 2023.
My team and I are committed to you and our industry and are here to help. Please let me know how we can assist. Sincerely,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
Hotel Performance for the week of February 19 – February 25 - According to Smith Travel Research, Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of February 19 – February 25 was up 6.2% at 56.0% occupancy but was down -0.3% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was up 3.5% at $108.47 for the week and up 5.1% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was up 9.9% at $60.76 and up 4.8% for the running 28-day trend. In comparison to the month of February 2019, we have an increase in occupancy of 12% and an increase in ADR and RevPAR of 30.46% and 46.09% respectively.
| 
