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January 31, 2025
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
It’s been great to see so much activity across the City this week! With the extension of Virginia Beach Restaurant Week 2025 through this Sunday, Feb. 2, there is still time to experience one of the most highly anticipated culinary events of the year. Find the updated list of participants here. I hope everyone can take advantage of visiting a new venue or returning to an all-time favorite spot. Thanks to the many partners who have pledged to extend their support to both of these local organizations who do so much for our industry. Cheers to 20 years, VBRA!
The 2025 dredging project at the Oceanfront started this week at 19th Street and is moving north towards 23rd Street. Please see this Overview Map with a schedule of anticipated activity dates for sand pumping.
We’re very pleased to share the results of our continued work in the areas of domestic and international public relations, marketing, and communications. This week’s press hits include:
Also, Austrian travel writer Von Wolfgang Braun recently visited Virginia Beach as part of a ten-person familiarization tour. The group itinerary included a kayaking excursion where the group observed many dolphins during their ocean adventure. The English translation of this article may be found here.
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!
It has been an active end of the month for the M&C Sales and Services Team with site visits, sales missions, and the wrap of a dynamic conference, Groundworks, which was a major success! Our Convention Center was the backdrop for the professional development sessions for almost 1,500 attendees, many who arrived from across the nation by air. Our ground transportation team manned 18 motor coaches during the conference, providing outstanding shuttle service between the airport, six citywide hotels, and the Convention Center. Meanwhile, Dee Mittman managed a 12-person site visit last week that has promise for a multiple year commitment.
In CVB sales travel news, Jamie Rawls is in Atlantic City attending the Independent Planners Education Community appointment show while Dee is in Kansas City attending Connect North’s appointment show. Also, Group Tour Sales Manager Jim Coggin recently attended the Pittsburgh Travel Showcase powered by AAA East Central Travel. AAA East Central has 78 branch offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members.
Virginia Beach is set for a packed weekend with four exciting events taking place across the city, bringing athletes and families together for top-tier competition and community engagement.
The Virginia Beach Classic, a gymnastics event, will be held at Ocean Lakes High School, showcasing the skills and dedication of young gymnasts as they compete in vault, bars, beam, and floor exercises. Meanwhile, track & field fans can look forward to two major meets at the Sports Center. The VWU Marlin Invitational, hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University, will feature collegiate athletes from various universities. The Track 757 Invitational will also bring together top high school track & field athletes from around the region for a day of competition, highlighting some of the most promising upcoming talent in the sport.
Adding a creative twist to the weekend lineup, the Brick by Brick LEGO Shipbuilding event at the Sports Center tomorrow will offer a unique, hands-on experience for participants of all ages. This interactive event blends creativity with maritime heritage, challenging attendees to build model ships using LEGO bricks while learning about shipbuilding history.
With a diverse mix of athletic and interactive events, Virginia Beach continues to be a hub for dynamic sports and entertainment. Whether you’re cheering on athletes, taking part in hands-on activities, or simply looking for something fun to do, this weekend’s lineup offers something for everyone.
It is always an honor to host the City Council’s annual retreat at the Convention Center. Taking place earlier this week, Councilmembers as well as City Leadership held substantive discussions about future plans and budget allocation at the facility. Last night, the City held a public meeting for the Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project. This project aims to improve the overall experience of Atlantic Avenue by enhancing the streetscape, improving lighting, and modernizing the area. Attendees were able to view design concepts, learn about project timelines and impacts, engage with the project design team, and provide valuable feedback to help shape the future of Atlantic Avenue. Today, the Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show and the Mid-Atlantic Leisure Expo both opened and run through Sunday. Come see the latest models, custom crafts, jet skis, and hot tubs. Tickets for these shows and others are available here.
Please take note that the Chesapeake Bay Center at First Landing State Park will be closed the entire month of February. The main Visitor Information Center at 2100 Parks Ave. will be closed on Sundays during the month of March.
Love Is In The Air February 1st – 25th at Town Center of Virginia Beach - Celebrate your love on the “Cœur Balançoire” and “lock in your love” at the Fountain Plaza in the Town Center of Virginia Beach district. Follow the hearts and capture precious moments with your loved one at the Town Center Fountain Plaza from February 1st – 25th. Take a selfie with your special someone at the beautiful “Cœur Balançoire.” This 12-foot life-size red heart will embrace you and your loved one during the season of love. The Town Center Love Lock Heart was designed and crafted specially for Town Center. Bring your personalized lock and attach it to the Love Lock Heart or use one of ours (limited supply). It will return every year! Take the opportunity to immortalize your love by taking a photo next to this life-sized red heart and love lock ornament. Submit photos between Feb. 1st – 10th for a chance to win a couples Town Center Valentine’s Day package. Submit your photo on Facebook with the hashtag #LoveInTownCenter2025. The winning couple will be announced February 12th on the CBDA Facebook page. Go to www.cbda.net/events to catch up on all the exciting upcoming Town Center events or read the latest edition of Town Talk, the newsletter of Town Center of Virginia Beach https://www.towncentervb.com/town-center-events/#events.
Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Grants Update - Partners, mark your calendars! The VTC Marketing Leverage Program will open on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 and close on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Prospective applicants can sign up for the webinar on “how-to-apply” on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 10 – 11 a.m. when the Virginia Restaurant Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA) partners with VTC to host this webinar focusing on assisting those applying for VTC grants. The webinar will feature Staci Martin, VTC Grants Director, and Noah Salaah ad-Deen, VTC Grants Specialist, 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, deadlines, and how to apply for the programs. Click here to register for this important webinar.
For a letter of support from the Virginia Beach CVB for your grant, please reach out to Teresa Diaz at tdiaz@visitvirginiabeach.com in advance of submitting your application, including data to support your application.
As a reminder from VTC, please note most 2023 and some 2024 grant cycle reimbursements and final reports are due. The reimbursement forms and 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.
Partner Professional Development Opportunities - To support our strategic pillar of accountability to the industry, we are pleased to share information about upcoming opportunities for professional development:
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, visit 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 December 2024 - Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the month of December was up 1.1% from Dec. 2023, at 41.4% occupancy, and up 2.2% year to date. ADR was down -0.2% from Dec. 2024, at $104.66, and down -1.9% year to date. RevPAR was up 1.0% from Dec. 2023, at $43.32, and up 0.3% 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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