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June 16, 2023
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
We’ve moved! Thank you for your continued patience with us as we transition into our new office space on the second floor of 600 22nd St. (across from our former offices). We have relocated what we needed to move with us and are now in our “rebuilding” stage. Once again, all things considered with a move of this proportion, we are in pretty good shape.
Please continue to reach out to CVB staff through your normal channels or email them directly. Thank you in advance for your patience with our response time; our various units are working from various locations as we complete our transition. These are exciting times for us all and look forward to welcoming you to our new office location for an open house in the near future. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Brande Rumpf at 757-282-1876 or via email at brumpf@visitvirginiabeach.com.
Congratulations to Ferguson and the entire team behind the 2023 North American Sand Soccer Championships - what an amazing event again this year! Thanks to all of you for the great partner engagement and support. Good luck to those participating in the Logstradamus team surfing event tomorrow - the weather is supposed to be great for all the activities we have going on! Partners, Summer 2023 is here and so are our beloved guests - here’s to a great summer!
Hot Off The Press! Journalists continue to show lots of interest in Virginia Beach and the experiences offered in our destination. Here is a sampling of media recent coverage:
CVB Sales Activity & News - This past weekend, Dee Mittman invited three clients into town to experience a Jazz Legacy event and explore the City. The clients showed keen interest! This week, Dee is headed to Mexico for Meeting Planner International’s World Education Conference. Amy Overstreet heads to Richmond for the Old Dominion Chapter meeting of Society of Government Meeting Planners this week. Last week, Jim Coggin was on a Virginia Destination Marketing Organization Sales Mission in Michigan with Virginia Tourism and Richmond Region Tourism, visiting 33 Tour Operators and AAA Offices from Detroit to Grand Rapids. Tour Operators are reporting that business is good, and AAA is expecting record summer travel. Virginia Beach continues to be a strong group tour and easy drive destination for the leisure traveler from Michigan.
Virginia Beach is set to host three exciting sports events this week, attracting an expected 900+ athletes and their families to our coastal city. The first event on the roster is the USTA L4 Boys and Girls 12's - 18's Closed Clay Court Tennis Championships. This highly-anticipated tournament showcases the skills and determination of young tennis players ranging from the ages of 12 to 18. Events continue at the Princess Anne Athletic Complex during the 2023 Summer Scramble Team Softball Camp, which promises to be an exciting and educational experience for softball enthusiasts. Completing the lineup of events is the Big Kahuna Masters Classic Swim meet, an event that celebrates the dedication and skill of experienced swimmers. Spectators can witness these seasoned athletes gracefully slicing through the water, showcasing their endurance, technique, and speed in a variety of events at the Princess Anne Family YMCA.
Starting This Week, City-Owned Parking Lots Near Rudee Loop To Close for Beach It! Festival - The festival buildout for Beach It! Country Music Festival began Monday, June 12, and will cause a few City-owned parking lots to be limited or closed to the public. The following areas near the festival footprint are closed through Thursday, June 29, due to the buildout:
- 2nd Street Connector
- Rudee Loop Parking Lot
- 4th Street Municipal Lot (behind the fencing)
- 3rd Street Gravel Lot
The following areas are open, but will close on Thursday, June 22:
- 4th Street Municipal Lot (North of the fencing)
- Street parking in Rudee Loop
- A small portion of the 2nd Street Lot
- Rudee Loop road access
During the festival, June 23-25, 3rd Street south will be closed to the public to include vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Access south of 5th Street will be restricted to City-issued passes. Access to Rudee Loop will reopen after the festival. All parking areas affected by the festival will be open by Friday, June 30. Click here to view the City’s news release.
Town Center Mini Golf Has Arrived: Miniature golf has arrived at Virginia Beach Town Center. Come join us tomorrow (Saturday, June 17), from 5 - 8 pm in the Town Center Fountain Plaza for a unique 9-hole course which includes kid size clubs, balls, obstacles, score cards and lots of fun. Designed for ages 3-12, bring the whole family for a great way to spend quality time together. While there, enjoy the musical sounds of DJ Ponfetti who will entertain with great music and a dance contest. Prizes compliments of APEX Entertainment of Town Center. All Town Center businesses and restaurants are available for lunch and dinner. For a complete directory, click here. Come and enjoy this free entertainment and have some family fun and remember, parking is always free at Town Center. This event will be held weather permitting.
La Fiesta Virginia Beach Return June 16 - 17! Beginning tonight, Virginia Beach will celebrate the sights and sounds of the Latin experience as La Fiesta Virginia Beach returns with Latin Grammy award winners and performers such as Jose Alberto “El Canario,” Rubby Perez, Diveana, La Banda Blanca, Wanda Lopes, Eddy Kbrera, Ballet Folklorico Mexican Tradition of Julio Ruiz, and more! La Fiesta Virginia Beach possesses the key ingredients of authentic food, colorful cultural costumes, and high-energy national Latin music. Latin Grammy Award nominees and winners headline concerts on the Beach stage at 29th Street each night, so everyone can dance to their heart's content! Authentic Latino and Hispanic food vendors and retail vendors will be on site to round out the festival experience. For a full listing of all the performers and times, click here .
Out of This World: Chalk the Walk 2023 - Chalk the Walk takes over Virginia Beach tomorrow (Sat., June 17) as artists gather to turn the boardwalk into an impromptu canvas of color! At Chalk the Walk, participants draw out-of-this-world four-by-four-foot chalk drawings for three blocks along the boardwalk. Competitors will complete chalk drawings with the “out of this world” theme to be evaluated by a panel of judges. Judges will score the drawings according to criteria such as composition, use of color, adherence to theme, and creativity. There will be three competitive divisions: Amateur, Professional, and Youth. The Youth division will be for ages 12-16. There is no fee to participate, but it is recommended that artists bring their own chalk. Interested? Find out more here.
Virginia Beach Celebrates Juneteenth - In honor of Juneteenth, commemorating the freedom of African Americans in our country, join the City of Virginia Beach and your community to reflect and celebrate the enduring promise that all are, indeed, created equal. Everyone is invited to join in on the many free activities honoring this holiday; find a way to celebrate here. Please note the CVB offices will be closed on Monday, June 19, 2023, in observance of Juneteenth.
3rd Annual Pride 2023 At The Beach Party - Hampton Roads Pride and the City of Virginia Beach invite you to the 3rd Annual Pride At The Beach Party on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at the 24th St. Park. Find out more information about this free public event, which includes live music and entertainment, here.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
For view the Resort area nightly entertainment schedule, click here. For Town Center events and activities, please click here.
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 May 28 - June 3 - According to Smith Travel Research, Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of May 28 - June 3 was down -13.2% year-over-year at 57.1% occupancy and -6.0% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was down -4.3% at $178.26 for the week and down -1.8% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was down -16.9% at $101.81 and down -7.7% for the running 28-day trend. The current downward trend is impacting the whole industry, as we see a similar downward trend amongst our competitive set as well. In comparison to the month of May 2019, we have a decrease in occupancy of -21.67% but counter this with an increase in ADR and RevPAR of 31.57% and 3.39% respectively.
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