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January 17, 2025
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
One of the most anticipated culinary events of the year is almost here! Congratulations to the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association (VBRA) as it launches the 20th anniversary of Virginia Beach Restaurant Week in 2025 with more than 50 participating restaurants joining in for a chock-packed week of culinary bliss from Monday, Jan. 20 through Sunday, Jan. 26. The VBRA has recruited a strong list of culinary contenders to carry on the beloved tradition of offering specially designed, prix fixe meal menu pricing. This year, some participants are also offering a tie-in to Virginia Spirits. To elevate the culinary experience, the VBRA has partnered with the Virginia Beach Hotel Association (VBHA) to offer a Dine & Stay program with more than a dozen VBHA hotels offering package deals to complement Restaurant Week. Find all the details about both of these terrific programs here.
Thanks to the many tourism stakeholders who have pledged their support to both of these local organizations who do so much for our industry! I hope to see many of you out and about during this exciting week. Bon appétit!
Good news! According to Corporate Traveler’s 2024 Year in Review, business travel among small and mid-sized businesses grew 9 percent from 2023, signaling a strong post-pandemic growth. This new report shares data, trends, and developments in business travel over the past year for small to medium-sized enterprises, highlighting data from 625,000 business trips. Find the full report at the link provided here.
Looking for news to share with guests and staff? There is a new blog post on our website for those looking for adventure during the winter weekends in Virginia Beach. Read here for some inspiration on enjoying all the shoulder season activities we offer.
We are excited to publish the 2025 VBCVB Event Calendar; please use this reference link and share it far and wide among your respective networks.
Last night the Convention Center welcomed the Urban League of Hampton Roads’ annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. Community leaders and organizations that have exemplified service, demonstrated the values modeled by Dr. King, and made significant contributions to Hampton Roads were honored. Today, the Tidewater Recreational Vehicle Show opened and tomorrow the Mid-Atlantic Home & Outdoor living Show begins. Both shows run through Sunday. Tickets and more information can be found at the link provided here.
We are very pleased to share the results of our continued work in the areas of public relations, marketing, and communications. On Monday, Jan. 13, the Virginia Beach CVB was represented at Visit USA’s ‘Meet the Media’ event in London. Visit USA Association (UK) brings together experts from a wide range of destinations, travel, accommodation, entertainment and other US-travel related products and services. An in-market representative attended this important networking event to generate connections across top-tier press portfolios and raise the profile of Virginia Beach in the United Kingdom. Media who expressed interest in Virginia Beach included The Sunday Times, The Travel magazine, Wellness Traveler, Selling Travel, TimeOut London, The Guardian, The Observer, Travel Weekly and more!
In addition, Susan Lundy, who visited Virginia Beach last fall on a press tour, wrote an article for the recent issue of Boulevard Magazine – the Vancouver + Okanagan editions:
Why Go to A Beach Town in Winter? Virginia Beach has all the Answers
Boulevard Magazine is a west coast luxury lifestyle magazine serving the Chinese-speaking communities of Metro Vancouver. It features the latest trends in home decor, fashion, travel, real estate, arts & entertainment, as well as food & drink. The Vancouver edition has a circulation of 40,000 and the Okanagan edition has a circulation of 30,000.
Does your business have something new or unique that you’d like to showcase? Please reach out to the content manager on our MarCom team, Alex Smith, at ajsmith@visitvirginiabeach.com, for opportunities to collaborate in our content space and to be featured on the Visit Virginia Beach website. Also, check out MarCom’s latest content via our social platforms. Make sure to like, subscribe, and follow Visit Virginia Beach on Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up to date on all things Virginia Beach. Don’t forget to tag @visitvabeach!
The CVB M&C Sales & Services Team is in the midst of a busy January! Services are gearing up for Groundworks who will be returning in less than two weeks.
In M&C travel news, this week Amy Overstreet and Sally Noona were in Houston, TX attending the Professional Conference Managers Association’s annual event, where the CVB was a participating sponsor for the Hospitality Helping Hands program. Our team worked with approximately 150 volunteers to create necessity boxes for those in need in the Houston area.
This week promises to be a huge one for sports tourism in Virginia Beach! The spotlight will shine brightly on our city as the 2025 VA Showcase takes center stage at the Sports Center. This prestigious indoor track & field event will bring together 6,000 athletes from 25 states and two countries, making it one of the most anticipated competitions of the year. Fans will witness extraordinary performances from the likes of athletes such as Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson, who will compete against some of the most talented high school runners in the world. Among the standout athletes is Virginia Beach’s own Andrew Salvodon, a senior at Bayside High School, who will take on world-class competitors. Teams from Jamaica, including the women’s 4x200 relay team, will also vie for world records, adding to the excitement. The VA Showcase is set to pack the Sports Center all weekend with fans from across the nation, offering an incredible opportunity to welcome visitors and showcase the best of our City.
In addition, the NXT East Coast Box Lacrosse Championships will take place at the Virginia Beach Field House. This event will feature over 1,000 of the region's top box lacrosse players competing for top honors. Year after year, the championship continues to grow, underscoring the rising popularity of lacrosse on a national scale. Virginia Beach’s own lacrosse players will take the field alongside teams from powerhouse locations like Maryland and beyond. Hosting this championship is an honor, and we remain committed to advancing sports and fostering a vibrant community here in Virginia Beach.
Visitor Center Hours of Operation Updates - Please note that the Chesapeake Bay Center at First Landing State Park will be closed the entire months of January and February. On Sunday during the month of March, the main Visitor Information Center at 2100 Parks Ave. will be closed.
Public Meeting on Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project Set for January 30 at Convention Center from 6 - 8 p.m. - The Atlantic Avenue Improvement project team is hosting a public meeting to present proposed plans for the Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project. The project aims to improve the overall experience of Atlantic Avenue by enhancing the streetscape, improving lighting, and modernizing the area while preserving its unique character. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, click here.
Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Grants Update - Partners, mark your calendars: The VTC Marketing Leverage Program and the VTC Destination Marketing Office Program will open on February 11, 2025 and close on March 13, 2025. Prospective applicants can sign up for how-to-apply webinars at www.vatc.org/grants.
Reminder: Most 2023 and some 2024 grant cycle reimbursements and final reports are due. Reimbursement forms and reimbursement instructions can be found at: vatc.org/grants/grant-reimbursements. All reimbursement requests must be mailed via USPS, UPS, FedEx or other courier to VTC, Attn: Grants Team, 901 East Cary Street, Suite 900, Richmond, VA 23219. Contact Staci Martin, Grants Director, at smartin@virginia.org if you need balance information or an extension.
Please reach out to Teresa Diaz at tdiaz@visitvirginiabeach.com for the required DMO grant support letter, in advance of submitting your application by the deadline of March 13, 2025.
Façade Improvement Grants (FIG) Program Application Portal Now Open - The Virginia Beach Economic Development FIG Grant application portal is now open for matching grant program applications. These grants support small, locally-owned, and operated businesses in the City of Virginia Beach wishing to upgrade their properties with façade improvements. The FIG program will match small business owners', or those who lease to small businesses, investments up to $10,000, for exterior building, site, and outdoor dining improvements. Funding is available on a competitive first-come, first-served basis until funds for the fiscal year are awarded. For more information and a fact sheet, click here.
2025 Partner Professional Development Opportunities - To support our strategic pillar of accountability to you, our valued partners, we are eager to share the word about upcoming opportunities for hospitality industry professional development:
- VRLTA Partners with VTC for Webinar on Opening of Next Round of VTC Grants - The next round of applications for the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Marketing Leverage Program will open on Thursday, Feb. 11, and close on Thursday, March 13, 2025. The Virginia Restaurant Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA) will host a webinar featuring Staci Martin, VTC Grants Director, and Noah Salaah ad-Deen, VTC Grants Specialist, on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 10 – 11 a.m. for a deep dive into the current and future programs. Participants will obtain a better understanding of each program, the marketing focus, who is eligible, in-kind and cash match requirements, timelines, and deadlines, and how to apply for the programs. Click here to register for this important webinar.
Miles Partnership Professional Development Opportunities in 2025
- March 18 – Destination Decisions, Powered by the State of the American Traveler
- May 15 – Harnessing the Power of AI
- June 24 – Technology Trends, Powered by the American Traveler
- September 16 – Traveler Segments, Powered by the State of the American Traveler
- November 18 – Stewardship & Sustainability Insights, Powered by the State of the American Traveler
For more information about these opportunities, and to register go to: https://www.milespartnership.com/how-we-think
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
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 in any way we can.
Sincerely,
Nancy Helman
CVB Director
CVB Strategic Pillars:
Engagement|Growth|Brand Development|Culture|Accountability
Hotel Occupancy for November 2024 - Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the month of November was up 6.5% from Nov. 2023, at 49.6% occupancy, and up 2.2% year to date. ADR was up 2.7% from Nov. 2023, at $112.65, but down -2.0% year to date. RevPAR was up 9.3% from Nov. 2023, at $55.91, and up 0.2% year to date.
Source: STR, LLC. Republication or other reuse of this data without the express written permission of STR, LLC is strictly prohibited.
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