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May 19, 2023
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
I was honored and humbled to be included in CoVaBiz magazine’s 100 Influential Leaders in Business in Coastal Virginia and would like to congratulate Virginia Beach leadership and my industry colleagues who also ranked in this prestigious listing:
- Robert Dyer, Mayor, City of Virginia Beach
- Patrick Duhaney, City Manager, City of Virginia Beach
- Dani Timm, Director of Sports Tourism, Virginia Beach CVB
- Barry Knight, Chair, House Appropriations Committee, Virginia House of Delegates
- Aaron C. Spence, Superintendent, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
- Bruce Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Gold Key PHR
For a full list of all the recipients, please click here. Congratulations to all!
Deputy City Manager Taylor Adams Appointed to the Board of Directors for Virginia Tourism Authority and Named a Key Player In Business by CoVaBiz Magazine - Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin recently announced additional key administration and board appointments, and appointed Taylor V. Adams to the board of directors for the Virginia Tourism Authority. Adams is the Deputy City Manager for Agriculture, Convention & Visitors Bureau, Economic Development, and Planning and Community Development for the City of Virginia Beach. Read the full press release here. Also recently, Taylor was included in CoVaBiz magazine’s article, “Key Players: 10+ leaders who are changing the game or playing a critical role in the current projects and initiatives shaping our region. Read the full article here. Congratulations, Taylor, on these recent achievements. We are fortunate to have you as our leader!
Sales Activities - The M&C Sales & Service Team is working hard to maximize efforts as we head towards the end of our fiscal year. Jamie Mitchell and Amy Overstreet conducted site visits late last week and mid-week this week for state and national opportunities. Clients are being vetted and invited to attend one of two familiarization tours coming up in June and several sales missions are being planned. The Sports Tourism staff returned from a successful trip to Kansas City where we participated in the 2023 Sports ETA Symposium. This week, we will host six different events across Virginia Beach which may bring an estimated 5,000 participants to our coastal sports hub. The areas of sports included in the events this weekend are tennis, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and lacrosse.
There is an opportunity through Capital Region USA to attend a Zoom Webinar on June 7th from 10 - 11 am to learn about funneling new profitable business through working with the international travel trade. The registration link is in the flier found here. This webinar is free and open to anyone interested.
Last week, Jim Coggin visited 40 AAA offices within our drive markets of PA, NJ, DE and VA. Jim updated the frontline and travel staff on what’s new in Virginia Beach. AAA Branch Offices are reporting strong travel numbers and Virginia Beach continues to be a great drive destination for AAA Members. Check out the latest from AAA on summer travel AAA: Memorial Day Weekend Travel Will Be ‘One For The Record Books’ (forbes.com). This year’s Thank the Visitor Day was celebrated at the Norfolk International Airport, and at the Virginia East Coast Gateway Welcome Center at New Kent. All the Coastal Virginia CVB/VIC’s were represented at this event. Passengers flying to the airport and motorists stopping at New Kent picked up information as we celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week. Maria Aragon and Judy Bengar represented the Virginia Beach CVB. The VBCC welcomes Comicon this weekend which has expanded its offerings from last year. Over 12,000 people are expected to enjoy special celebrity guests, comic book creators, voice actors, cosplay, gaming, and contests.
Celebrate With The ViBe! Come out to the ViBe District tomorrow and help celebrate 15 years of “3rd Saturdays” during this week’s Old Beach Farmers Market and Old Beach Art & Eco Market beginning at 9 am. Don’t miss the VB Flea Market, starting at 8 am, in The Alley. Enjoy music, food, fun, entertainment and more at this free, family event. Find out more here.
Pungo Offroad Monsters on the Beach Starts Tonight and Runs Through Sunday - The “monster” of all beach events starts tonight! Pungo Offroad Monsters on the Beach, presented by Eastern Truck & Accessories, brings thrills and chills to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront as Monster Trucks battle for ultimate sand domination! This family-friendly event is loud, fast, and exciting. Make sure you see the BIGGEST Monster Truck show in the mid-Atlantic ON THE BEACH with a race and stunt course built right on the Beach at 6th Street and bleachers overlooking from the boardwalk. Sand dune ramps and junk cars combine to make the racecourse fast and fun for drivers and spectators alike. Free activities are also planned throughout the weekend. The Virginia Beach boardwalk will come alive with the Show and Shine truck show and exhibitor displays featuring some of the most exciting new accessories on the market today. Want more information and to find out what trucks are scheduled to show? Click here.
Virginia Tourism Orientation Program - Join VTC staff for a virtual interactive event where you will learn about VTC’s marketing opportunities that can help increase visitation to your destination, events and festivals, attractions or region. Orientation sessions run three consecutive mornings from 9 a.m.- noon. VTC Orientation is a must for Virginia DMOs, tourism-related business owners, tourism marketers and representatives from Virginia attractions, restaurants, events, retail and lodging establishments. Click here for more information including the remaining 2023 class dates.
Road Closure for Memorial Day Ceremony Planned - The Virginia Beach Mayor's Veterans Committee Memorial Day Ceremony is scheduled for Monday, May 29th and will be impacting 19th Street and Jefferson Ave. from Friday, May 26th at 9:00 am until Tuesday, May 30th at 9:00am. Please plan accordingly. Please see the road closure notice here and feel free to reach out with questions or concerns about this road closure.
Vote for Virginia Beach! - Virginia Beach is holding firm and we are excited to share that the Virginia Beach Oceanfront remains in the top ten list as USA TODAY continues their 2023 10Bests’s Readers’ Choice Awards contests. The Virginia Beach Oceanfront has been nominated in the category of “Best Beach in the South” Vote for us today! Voting is open until May 22, 2023.
2023 Beach Water Monitoring Begins - The 2023 beach water monitoring season kicked off this week and the news is great: the City lab passed all the beach water samples taken this week. What a great way to kick off the 2023 beach season! Sampling will occur every Tuesday, with the results received on Wednesdays, until the end of the season on September 26th. If you have any questions regarding the beach program, contact Brad DeLashmutt, MAOSE, Environmental Health Supervisor, at Brad.Delashmutt@vdh.virginia.gov.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Our current Calendar of Events is available here. Take a look and see more of what’s on the horizon.
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 Occupancy for the week of April 30 - May 6: According to Smith Travel Research, Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of April 30 - May 6 was up 0.6% year-over-year at 62.1% occupancy but down -0.1% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was up 13.6% at $162.54 for the week and up 11.5% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was up 14.3% at $100.89 and up 11.3% for the running 28-day trend. In comparison to the month of May 2019, we have a decrease in occupancy of -14.8% but counter this with an increase in ADR and RevPAR of 19.97% and 2.45% respectively.
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