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April 18, 2025
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
I’m thrilled at the overwhelming response to join us for our annual NTTW celebration on May 9th. If you haven’t done so already, please register here for your complimentary seat at this special event we proudly hold each May to recognize our amazing frontline hospitality workforce. This year will again be a wonderful celebration of our industry and I hope to see many of you there cheering on your team members and colleagues!
Don’t forget to vote in the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards! You may vote HERE now through June 30th for all of the following options:
- Beaches: Virginia Beach
- Cities: Virginia Beach
- Hotels: Delta Marriott VB Waterfront and Founders Inn & Spa
- Resorts: Founders Inn & Spa and The Cavalier
The results of the Readers’ Choice Awards will be featured in the November US and UK print issues and online.
In more media news, on Thursday, April 10th, Erin Goldmeier and Robin Magrisi with FINN Partners presented to VBHA (Virginia Beach Hotel Association) members about the newly-formed Ocean Friendly Hotels (OFH) Program. OFH is an expansion of Surfrider’s nationally-recognized Ocean Friendly Restaurants (OFR) program. The OFH program celebrates hotels that have eliminated unnecessary single-use plastic and offers a simple, straightforward framework to help them implement practices that are better for the health of our ocean. Virginia Beach hotel properties are encouraged to participate in this easy & important program. To learn more, click here or if you’re ready to sign up, click here to fill out the easy form! If you have additional questions, please reach out to Dr. Lisa Johnson, Surfrider Virginia Chair, at ofg@virginia.surfrider.org.
This week’s press hits include:
- TODAY article mentioned Virginia Beach in the round-up article titled, “40 family-friendly vacation destinations everyone will love, from international beaches to amusement parks”
The Meetings & Conventions Sales & Services Team has had a busy week preparing for two citywide conventions coming to town in less than two weeks. Jim Coggin and Scott Warren provided a site tour for the Armed Forces Reunions group this week. Sally Noona and Samantha Montague met with a Tidewater Community College class this week at the Convention Center for a behind the scenes tour and briefing on the sales side of the bureau.
Also this week, members of the Virginia Beach Sports Tourism team traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend the 2024 Sports ETA Symposium. The annual symposium brings together professionals from across the country who are shaping the future of the sports events and tourism industry. The team attended the event to actively seek new opportunities for Virginia Beach and to build relationships with event rights holders, vendors, and fellow destination partners. Through one-on-one appointments, networking sessions, and educational panels, we explored ways to further elevate Virginia Beach as a premier location for sporting events. They also gained valuable insights into the latest trends shaping the industry from advances in event technology to discussions around sustainability, youth sports growth, and economic impact strategies. Being part of the largest gathering of its kind to date allowed us to represent Virginia Beach on a national stage and continue strengthening our city’s profile as a top-tier destination for sports tourism.
This upcoming weekend the Convention Center welcomes the Easter celebration for Trinity Church. Trinity Church has locations in downtown Norfolk, the Oceanfront, Princess Anne, and Town Center as well as outside of Hampton Roads. Their Easter service brings their locations together for what promises to be uplifting worship, communion, prayer, and an inspiring message. Next Tuesday, Virginia Beach Public Works is holding a Career Fair from 11 am – 6 pm and the Virginia Beach School Board will host their Official for a Day Luncheon, rewarding kids from across the City for being motivated to get involved in public governance.
The Resort Management Office reports that the improvements to Grommet Island Park have been completed and the park is again open to everyone.
Easter Eggstravaganza & Family Fun Hoppin’ at Town Center - Visiting the Town Center district is a treat as there is always something to see and do, but tomorrow is an especially picture-perfect time to go! On Saturday, April 19, from 11 am - 2 pm hop on down to the Fountain Plaza to celebrate with the Town Center Easter Bunny during the annual Easter Eggstravaganza. From an Easter egg hunt to a kids’ dance contest and more, there is lots of family-friendly fun to be had. This is one event not to miss! Find the district’s latest events and happenings at this link.
New Event Hits Virginia Beach - Vibe Check, a new two-day free hip hop and R&B music festival, will present Waka Flocka Flame and Bryce Vine as headliners of this new event coming to the Oceanfront next weekend, April 25 - 26. Featuring over a dozen acts throughout the weekend, the free festival will take place at 24th Street on the beach. Find more details here.
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art and Virginia Humanities Join Forces to Present Community Day - The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) and Virginia Humanities present Community Day on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 1 - 4 pm at Virginia MOCA. Community Day is a Virginia Humanities 50th birthday celebration, built around the maritime and environmental themes found in the Virginia MOCA exhibition Duke Riley: O’er the Wide and Plastic Sea. This museum-wide activation spotlights creativity, environmental stewardship, and all things nautical as we celebrate our oceans and maritime heritage of Hampton Roads. Resources and engaging activities will be available from community partners including Clean Virginia Waterways, First Landing State Park, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Norfolk Botanical Garden, Tidewater Compost, and many more.
Guests will enjoy a day filled with performances, activities, artist demos, community resources, food, and more. Visitors can experience live artist demonstrations in tattooing, basket-making, wood-burning, and clay. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
There’s Still Time to Nominate the Best in the State - The Ordinary Awards celebrate and honor all of Virginia’s restaurants, lodging establishments and hotels, DMOs, attractions, and more, yet simply ordinary is not what these nominees are. In fact, they are extraordinary in that they shine a light on the incredible restaurateurs, hoteliers, attractions, establishments, and employees that represent some of the best our industry has to offer from across the state.
Nominations are open through June 30th, 2025, and winners announced at the VRLTA awards dinner and ceremony on September 8th, 2025. Find out more about the awards dinner and the process for nominating someone at the link provided here.
Partner Professional Development Opportunities - To support our strategic pillar of accountability to our stakeholders and the industry as a whole, we are pleased to share information about upcoming opportunities for professional development:
Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association (VRLTA) Hospitality Training Expands - VRLTA’s 2025 Regional Seminars aim to provide education and resources on critical industry topics, extending VRLTA’s outreach and enhancing their statewide presence through valuable, focused programming.
On May 19, 2025, from 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., all are encouraged to attend a Human Trafficking Training & Prevention seminar, a VRLTA Coastal Regional Seminar being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Virginia Beach. Human trafficking is a widespread issue that often operates in plain sight and the hospitality and tourism industries are uniquely positioned to help identify and report potential cases, making training and awareness critical. Open to members and non-members, find out more about this free educational opportunity and register at the link provided here.
Other VRLTA Training Offerings - The VRLTA regularly also offers a variety of training and certification opportunities in the hospitality industry. These include online courses, career and technical education programs, and certification programs. Visit https://www.vrlta.org/hospitality-training/ for more information.
Miles Partnership Professional Development Dates for 2025 - For more information about the following opportunities and/or to register, visit https://www.milespartnership.com/how-we-think:
- 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
I hope some of you, or your designees, are able to attend one or more of these important and insightful professional development opportunities.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Find the 2025 CVB Event Calendar here, the Virginia Beach Events 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
nhelman@visitvirginiabeach.com
CVB Strategic Pillars:
Engagement|Growth|Brand Development|Culture|Accountability
Hotel Occupancy for February 2025 - Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the month of February was down -6.5% from Feb. 2024, at 46.2% occupancy, and down -4.1% year to date. ADR was down -1.9% from Feb. 2024, at $109.12, but up 0.7% year to date. RevPAR was down -8.3% from Feb. 2024, at $50.38, and down -3.4% 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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