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February 7, 2025
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
One of the main priorities and goals of the CVB is to drive visitation to the destination, which adds to the local economy and quality of life for residents. We do so using a variety of tactics, many of which have been reviewed in meetings during presentations and seen on a variety of other platforms.
Therefore, we are very excited to invite you to come out and see one of the newest ways we are promoting the destination. In partnership with Starr Tours, a beautifully branded wrapped motor coach will arrive In Virginia Beach for the very first time on the morning of Friday, February 21st at 9 am. The group of passengers on board are scheduled to take a whale watching excursion with Virginia Aquarium guides. While there will not be an opportunity to board the coach, there will be professional photographers on site for photo opportunities as well as light refreshments and lot of time for networking. Please come out and join in welcoming these guests to our City and witness what thousands of motorists see every day as they travel Interstate 95 and beyond!
To gauge interest we would like everyone to sign up at this link if they plan to attend. I hope many of you will take the opportunity to come out join us in giving this tour group a warm Virginia Beach welcome!
The Army Corp of Engineers began the 2025 dredging project at the Oceanfront last week at 19th Street. It is estimated that $20.2 million in investments by the City of Virginia Beach in replenishment efforts along the Resort Area Beach since 2002 have averted more than $1 billion in storm-related damages. and is moving north towards 23rd Street. Please check out this real-time progress tracker found here.
The CVB team is swelling with pride and joy at the success of our esteemed colleague, Eric Logan, the newly inducted national president of Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA). ESPA is the premier organization for the event services community. It is a vital organization that advocates for the role and impact event service professionals have on the success of events and of destinations, hotels and convention centers. Eric will represent our destination on a national level during his term as president of this prestigious organization.
In more good news, Jamie Rawls hosted one of our most prolific state association management company’s staff retreat which showcased hotels and venues this group had not previously previewed for meetings and events. The group was thrilled to participate in a hard-hat tour of the up & coming Dome and Atlantic Surf Park. They ended their time with us by joining in a community give back project, creating 50 blessing bags for those in need in our community.
We are happy to share some inspiration in the posts Things to Do in Virginia Beach this February article as well as The Ultimate Romantic Weekend Guide to Virginia Beach.
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!
Virginia Beach Sports Tourism will be jamming this weekend with four great events bringing in over 8,000 people to the destination. The action kicks off at the Sports Center with the 2025 East Coast Invitational, a three-day track meet featuring high school and college athletes from all over. With the University of Virginia as the host institution, the competition is heating up as athletes push toward their upcoming conference and national championships.
Right alongside it, the 2025 AAU Trident Challenge Grand Prix volleyball tournament is filling the building with over 1,000 athletes battling it out on the courts. Fast-paced rallies, big-time spikes, and nonstop action will keep the energy high all weekend. Virginia Wesleyan University wraps things up at the Sports Center with the 2025 Betty S Rogers Invitational, bringing more track and field talent into town for another intense round of competition.
Down at the Oceanfront, things take a cold turn with the Special Olympics Virginia 2025 Polar Plunge Cool School Challenge and 5K Run. More than 6,000 people are expected at the Oceanfront over the two days hitting the sand, running, plunging into the Atlantic, and raising money for Special Olympics Virginia athletes. Costumes, food, music, and a heated pavilion will keep the party going, making this one of the most exciting and meaningful events of the year!
This week the Convention Center hosted a successful conference for RW Towne Realty as well as meetings for Oath Law. The Virginia Beach Coin Show is open today and tomorrow while the SGK Gun Show opens tomorrow and runs through Sunday. Next Wednesday from 6 pm-7:30 pm, the Rudee Park Project will present three design concepts currently under consideration for the 8-acre site at the southern end of our resort strip. This meeting, the next step in the ongoing process to create a world-class destination for everyone to enjoy, is open to the public and the City welcomes your input. As always, information on VBCC events and tickets can be found here.
Several new cafes have been approved by the Planning, Design, Review Committee of the Resort Advisory Commission and are expected to go before City Council for final approval in March. The new cafes, as well as returning ones, will be handled with a one-year agreement as recommended by the City attorney’s office until the Atlantic Avenue construction project is complete.
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.
Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) Grants Update - The VTC Marketing Leverage Program will open this Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 and remain open through Thursday, March 13, 2025. 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.
Love Is In The Air Through February 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 through February 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. Visit www.cbda.net/events to see all the exciting upcoming Town Center events or catch the latest edition of Town Talk, the newsletter of Town Center of Virginia Beach here
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
Find the 2025 CVB Event Calendar here, the Beach Events VB entertainment schedule here, and a link to the events at Town Center of Virginia Beach 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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