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March 8, 2024
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the weekend designated for “springing forward” and adjusting to daylight saving time. As we quickly approach the first day of spring, we hope everyone joins in the excitement that comes along with the start of a new season. With a lineup of great entertainment, events, activities, and things to do for every taste, genre and generation, Virginia Beach is the place to be this spring! Read on for examples of some great press coverage we received just in time for Spring Break ‘24!
CVB Sales Activity and News: The CVB team supports the bureau’s strategic pillars of Engagement, Growth, Brand Development, Culture, and Accountability.
We are pleased to feature the following media coverage highlighting our destination and the variety of experiences we offer:
The M&C Sales & Service Team is proud to announce that Dee Mittman was selected by Smart Meetings as one of the top Industry Women in 2024 and was recognized as a Stellar Performer. Way to go, Dee! In other M&C news, last week the team held a site visit with a local planner to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Also last week, Amy Overstreet held a site visit for the Virginia Maritime Association while Dee Mittman held another for the Asian Pacific American Council. Over the weekend, Dee attended the 2024 United Negro College Fund Mayors’ Masked Ball.
Virginia Beach is set to become the epicenter of sporting excellence this weekend, hosting an exhilarating series of events across multiple venues. The city will welcome thousands of athletes from across the nation, each aiming for top honors. The highlight of this weekend is the 2024 NCAA Division 3 Indoor Track and Field Championships, set to take place at the state-of-the-art Virginia Beach Sports Center. This premier event will see over 1,000 collegiate athletes from numerous colleges and universities compete in a quest for top honors, showcasing their incredible talent and hard work. Adding to the excitement, the Virginia Beach Convention Center will host the much-anticipated Grand National Championship by the Sea, a spectacular showcase of cheer and dance. This event is expected to draw in over 6,000 athletes, making it one of the most significant gatherings of cheer and dance talent in the country. Alongside these marquee events, Virginia Beach will also play host to the International Indoor Cup and the Virginia Challenge wrestling tournaments at the Virginia Beach Field House. Each event promises to deliver thrilling competition, making Virginia Beach the ultimate destination for sports fans and athletes alike this weekend.
Next Wednesday, the Convention Center hosts Virginia Beach’s State of the City luncheon, the premier annual forum for our business, civic, and community leaders. Mayor Dyer will be giving the address which will highlight key business development initiatives, provide municipal progress updates, and provide a glimpse into the future of Virginia Beach.
U.S. Travel’s Recovery & Growth Insights - The following are key travel highlights for January 2024 as shared by U.S. Travel in a March 4 post:
- Travel appetite started the year on a softer note, but overall growth continued. Air passenger growth remained positive, up 6% versus the prior year but lower than the double-digit growth seen through 2023. Foreign visits remained strong, up 24% YoY.
- Hotel room demand continued a trend of slight contraction falling 1% versus the prior year, while short-term rental demand grew 1%, a lower rate than 2023.
- A particular bright spot was that group room demand within the top 25 markets displayed solid growth of 9% relative to the prior year.
- The outlook for the economy remains fairly optimistic due to the strength of the labor market, looser financial conditions and healthy household and nonfinancial corporate balance sheets. This has filtered through to slightly higher consumer sentiment in February.
- Sentiment is also growing for upcoming leisure travel in 2024. The share of travelers reporting having travel plans within the next six months increased to 93% in January from 92% in December, according to Longwoods International's monthly survey.
- Travel price inflation (TPI) fell slightly in January as a result of falling transportation prices. Sticky services inflation should see relief from decelerating wage growth. However, upside risks stem from rising healthcare costs, supply chain disruptions and slowing labor supply.
Source: Tourism Economics and U.S. Travel Association
Go deeper: Explore more in the Recovery and Growth Insights Dashboard, updated monthly (member login required).
Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend - The 52nd running of the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend will take place next weekend, March 15-17, 2024. This St. Paddy’s Day tradition has a race distance for every goal: Marathon, Half Marathon, 8K, and challenges. No matter the distance, you’ll experience the best of Coastal Virginia on our flat, fast, and scenic course before you cross the finish line overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The party continues after the race at our post race celebration on the beach with Yuengling Beer and live music. There is still time to register - click here and hope to see you there.
The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Virginia Beach Town Center - Hop on down to the Fountain Plaza to celebrate with the Town Center Easter Bunny at our first ever Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday, March 30 from 11 am – 2 pm. The thrill and excitement of spring is popping up at Town Center and there is no better way to celebrate than with an Easter egg hunt, family, and fun. This family-friendly, FREE event is for children ages 7 and under only. Get FREE photos with the Town Center Easter Bunny!
Easter Egg Hunts (times may fluctuate):
- Ages 1-3 12 pm
- Ages 4-5 12:30 pm
- Ages 6-7 1 pm
Enter the Bunny Hop dance contest with DJ Ponfetti to win prizes from Apex Entertainment, The Royal Chocolate, and others. There will be a best Easter bonnet/hat contest, games, face painting, and more. To learn more, click here.
Point Break Music Festival Lineup Announced - IMGoing released the scheduled lineup for their new Point Break Music Festival set for the weekend of June 1 - 2, 2024. Sublime, a 1990s-era band that gained worldwide fame for its blend of reggae, ska, surf rock and punk music, will headline the first day of this new reggae festival and renowned reggae rock band, Rebelution, will headline the second day of shows. Tickets are on sale now. Click here for more information.
Beyond Monet - The Immersive Experience - Producer Paquin Entertainment Group announced today that Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience will open on Friday, July 5 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience is full of infinite potential for wonder and sheds new light on what the world thought it knew about Claude Monet. The experience showcases more than 400 of Monet’s most iconic works of impressionism, including the Water Lilies series, Impression: Sunrise, and Poppies. An exclusive encore presentation of Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which has sold over 7 million tickets worldwide, will be available at select dates and times. For more information, click here.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Click here to view the 2024 CVB Events Calendar. To view the Resort area entertainment schedule, click here and for easy access the Town Center of Virginia Beach events and activities listing, click here.
My team and I are committed to you and our industry and are here to help any way that we can. Please let me know how we can assist you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
CVB Strategic Pillars:
Engagement|Growth|Brand Development|Culture|Accountability
Hotel Occupancy Data for the Week of February 18 - February 24: Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the week of February 18 – February 24 was down -2.6% at 54.7% occupancy but up 0.6% for the running 28-day trend. ADR was up 2.3% at $110.63 and up 2.0% for the running 28-day trend. RevPAR was down -0.4% at $60.48 but up 2.5% for the running 28-day trend.
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