April 14, 2023

Dear Valued Tourism Partners,

I am in awe and excited about the many activities happening in relation to the SITW festival which offer innovative and unique ways for both residents and guests to engage and be involved in the fun. Read on for several examples that are included later in this week’s message. I hope everyone received all the answers to their questions at the recent City public briefings. If not, please direct festival questions to SITW@vbgov.com. For a great resource for special event updates, visit www.virginiabeach.gov/eventinfo. Click here for the SITW presentation from the briefing if you were unable to attend either of the sessions.

More exciting news! Registration is now open for the 2023 National Travel & Tourism Week Hospitality Awards Luncheon. Each of you are invited to join in the celebration of the Virginia Beach tourism industry at the 2023 NTTW Hospitality Awards Luncheon on Thursday, May 11 in the Ballroom at the VBCC. Doors open at 11:00 am for a networking reception followed by a luncheon and awards program where top honors in a variety of categories will be announced. Pre-registration for all who plan to attend is required, please click HERE to register. Please note that emails were sent to all nominees so if you are a nominator, you can now reach out, offer your congratulations, and ensure you and your nominee are registered for the luncheon. We want to be sure every nominee is recognized!  

The Pulse of Virginia - For the latest information and news from Virginia Tourism Corporation, including a great NTTW video, see the latest edition of the state tourism office’s newsletter here.

ViBe Crosswalk Painting Project to Affect Access to Visitor Information Center on Sunday, April 16 - Partners, please share with your guests: The ViBe Creative District will repaint the crosswalks on Parks Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets this Sunday,
April 16. Hard closure (no access) will be from 8 am to 8 pm.  The Visitor Center will still be open from 10 am to 4 pm.  Weather permitting, VIC staff will set up a desk in the corner street to assist visitors.  A digital sign will also be in place to advise visitors we’re open and to park at the CVB/Towne Bank parking lot. See the road closure notice here. (will be live at the test).

ViBe Singer Songwriters Saturdays in ViBe Park - Join us tomorrow (Saturday, April 15) from 9 am to 12 pm in the ViBe Creative District at the Old Beach Art and Eco Market for Singer Songwriter Saturdays on the ViBe Stage. New musicians every week!  While there, be sure to support small, local, eco-friendly businesses and artists at the Old Beach Art & Eco Market every Saturday morning from 9 am to noonish.  Find out more about ViBe happenings here.  

Virginia Beach Restaurant Association Presents Something On the Menu April 23 - 30 - From Back Bay to Chesapeake Bay, Oceanfront, Town Center, and beyond, there’s “Something on the Menu'' at select Virginia Beach restaurants. Participating restaurants are spreading the spirit of the Something in the Water Festival with a casual groove, cool vibes, and great eats all week. We invite locals and guests to enjoy daily menu specials highlighting food and beverage items exclusively created for this celebratory week. Find out who’s participating here!

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Presents A Seat At The Table, An Arts & Cultural Experience - This Something in the Water community event brings a night of conversation and celebration for Black arts and culture in the Hampton Roads community.  On April 27 from 6 - 11 pm, the Urban League of Hampton Roads (ULHR) in collaboration with Virginia MOCA will host “A Seat at the Table: An Arts & Culture Experience,” in celebration of the 3rd Annual Something in the Water Music Festival. The event will feature exhibitions from international artists, Kara Walker and LaToya M. Hobbs. Virginia MOCA will also be featuring atrium artists in residence, Amber Pierce, Poetry Jackson and Nadd Harvin, alongside four regional artists selected to be featured throughout the museum: Ashley Raeneil, Chris Green, Loscar Creations, and QRCKY. Live music will be provided by Fortresses and Tha Fellaz, hosted by Q5. Additionally, the event will offer an Arts & Culture Panel Conversation, moderated by Stephanie Walters, featuring prominent and emerging creators, executives, and entrepreneurs discussing the importance of supporting Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) arts and culture, and elevating their voices and platforms, especially in the Hampton Roads region. This donation-based ticketed event offers a unique museum exhibition experience and promises to be the heartbeat of Hampton Roads creatives in Virginia Beach for the Something in the Water Festival. Click here for more information.

Celebrate the Military and their Families at the USO Experience Virginia Beach June 1 – 5 - For active service members and their families, USO Experience Virginia Beach (VB) 2023 is a weeklong summer event that consists of a series of athletic, recreational, and social activities. For civilians, USO Experience is a way to learn about and celebrate the armed forces through the military village and free nightly concerts! USO Experience VB 2023 social and educational events facilitate interactions between military and civilians and provide an opportunity for the civilian community to see that our service members are more than brave people keeping them safe. These common unifying experiences between the military service members and civilians let the military know they are supported, valued, and respected by their country. Activities for service members include skydiving, paddleboarding, horseback riding, surfing, kayaking and more. For all USO events happening June 1-5, visit www.uso.org/usoexperience-vb.

JACKALOPE Festival to Make US Debut in Virginia  Beach June 2 – 4, 2023 – The largest action-sports event in Canada is being exported to the US for the first time in Virginia Beach this summer. JACKALOPE, a three day vibrant festival, is renowned for its unique atmosphere and the quality of the athletes competing in high adrenaline action sports such as skateboarding, bouldering, break dancing and BASE jumping.  JACKALOPE is the ultimate gathering of action sport communities, bringing together top athletes and professionals in the featured sports as well as enthusiasts and the curious. Find out more about this exciting festival here.

Convention Center Activity - This week brings in the Submarine Birthday Ball on Friday and more than 5,000 competitors to Encore Dance, Royal Beach Dual Nationals Cheer, and FCCLA this weekend. 

CVB Sales Activity and News - Preparation continues for a Smart Meetings national event later this month. This week Sally Noona hosted a site visit with representatives from the American Library Association. Dee Mittman is in Las Vegas this week for a Connect Diversity meeting. Connect is the premier hosted-buyer event that brings together the most active planners, suppliers and experts in diversity meetings and events for preset appointments, keynote general sessions, planner/supplier roundtables and quality networking. Next week, she travels to Louisville for an Emerging Leaders event. 

With the Virginia International Tattoo coming to the region next week, we are excited to welcome many tour groups to Virginia Beach. We have more than 35 groups, utilizing 17 hotels, staying in Virginia Beach for this event and close to 15 groups coming to Virginia Beach for the day. Some tour operators have reported phenomenal success with the Tattoo this year. Eagle Rock Tours from Ohio has two buses coming with 100 guests. Country Travel Discoveries from Wisconsin also has two buses coming with 76 passengers. Most of these groups are senior groups, however, we also have many student groups coming for the NATO Parade and the Virginia International Music Festival. 

The 2023 Pride Journeys LGBTQ Travel Directory is now available online. This year’s guide is the largest with more than 115 destinations listed and we are proud to be among them. Please take the time to visit the directory by clicking here.

Sports Tourism Activity - This weekend we’ll be hosting eight different sporting events across the City as we welcome more than 6,000 athletes and their families to Virginia Beach. The events will be held at the Virginia Beach Sports Center, Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach Tennis Center, US Field Hockey Training Center, Princess Anne Athletic Complex, and the Virginia Beach Field House. 

Events and Happenings

Our current Calendar of Events is available here. Take a look and see more of what’s on the horizon. 

Hotel Occupancy for the week of March 26 - April 1 -  According to Smith Travel Research, Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of March 26 – April 1 was down -0.2% at 55.5% occupancy and 0.0% change for the running 28-day trend. ADR was up 1.8% at $127.66 for the week and up 3.7% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was up 1.7% at $70.90 and up 3.6% for the running 28-day trend. In comparison to the month of March 2019, we have a decrease in occupancy of -9.6% but counter this with an increase in ADR and RevPAR of 34.25% and 21.65% respectively. 

To view previous Friday updates, log in to the Partner Pipeline.