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May 23, 2025
Dear Valued Tourism Partners,
As we head into Memorial Day 2025, I am reminded of the reason for this long weekend and am humbled. Intended as a time of remembrance and reflection in honor of “those who gave their all”, I encourage everyone to take a moment to pay homage in your own way to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms and privileges we enjoy. The CVB is proud to support Mayor Dyer’s Committee for Veterans and the 2025 Memorial Day ceremony and event scheduled for Monday, May 26th at the Tidewater Veterans Memorial on 19th Street and Jefferson Avenue across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Find more information at the link provided here.
Please join me in congratulating Bill Kelly who will be assuming the role of Resort Administrator effective May 29th. Bill began his career with the City in 2004 and he spent nine years in the Resort Management Office leading the special events division. He then continued his path of growth in events, services and sales in the CVB’s Sports Tourism Division (nine years) before returning to RMO in the position of Deputy Resort Administrator.
Thanks again to everyone who came out to celebrate with us for National Travel and Tourism Week- it was a great day! We are happy to share the link to the 2025 award recipient list and the photo gallery found on our website here.
Looking ahead, it’s exciting that we are only two weekends away from once again partnering to host the world’s largest sand soccer festival! The 30th edition of the North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC) will take place June 6th - 8th over 25 city blocks of our Oceanfront beach. With more than 11,000 players seeding over 80 brackets to support all levels of play - from the beginner to professional - the live action is non-stop for the players as well as the thousands of boardwalk spectators who will also enjoy live music, great food and more. And, when the day is done, participants and fans head out to take in Virginia Beach's unbelievable lineup of regional entertainment. Thanks for all your support of this event which, while at world-class status, has become an annual favorite hometown festival. Find all the details on the page provided here.
We’re pleased to share the following press hits:
- The Historic Cavalier Hotel is spotlighted in a Modern Luxury DC round-up titled, “DC's Best of Luxury Travel Awards 2025”
- Virginia Beach appeared in The Sun (print) on Saturday, as part of their newly launched travel column 'Spotlight On'
- -Syndicated to The Scottish Sun
This Memorial Day weekend, Virginia Beach transforms into a vibrant hub of athletic excellence as the Sports Tourism team proudly hosts two premier youth sporting events, drawing thousands of athletes and spectators from across the nation.
From Saturday through Monday, the Virginia Beach Sports Center will be the battleground for the 26th Annual NHSCA National Duals, one of the nation's most prestigious high school wrestling tournaments. With representation from 46 states and over 6,000 elite athletes, this event showcases the pinnacle of youth wrestling talent. As teams compete in intense dual matches, spectators can anticipate a weekend filled with high-caliber competition and inspiring displays of sportsmanship.
Simultaneously, the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex will host the Ralph Downey Memorial Day Classic on Saturday and Sunday. This esteemed tournament, sanctioned by US Club Soccer and the Virginia Youth Soccer Association, will feature approximately 1,500 athletes across U9 to U19 divisions. Teams from various states will come to Virginia Beach to compete throughout the weekend. Beyond the competition, the event honors the legacy of Ralph Downey, celebrating his contributions to youth soccer and the community.
In M&C Sales & Services news, the team had another busy week. Jamie Rawls and Eric Logan conducted a successful planning site visit for the International Technology & Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA). In preparation for the annual citywide ITEEA conference coming in March 2026, the group toured several local attractions and businesses to select two field trip locations and a reception site. Additionally, the meeting planners from Maritz Travel meeting planners experienced Virginia Beach for their first time and are now interested in bringing future business to the destination. The Services team did an excellent job of providing shuttle service for more than 1,000 delegates in town for the Vertical Flight Society convention. In M&C sales travel news, Dee Mittman is in Atlantic City attending Smart Meetings’ appointment show working with planners from the northeast to bring new meetings and events to Virginia Beach.
In more sales travel news, Jim Coggin was in Central Pennsylvania this week calling on 28 tour operations and AAA offices as part of the annual VADMO sales blitz.
All Visitor Information Center locations are open this summer season to assist guests and residents. All three locations will be open throughout the summer season, including the holidays of Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4th and Labor Day. Locations and hours are as follows: Main Visitor Information Center at 2100 Parks Ave, 9 a.m. - to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday & 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday & Sundays. Chesapeake Bay Center at First Landing State Park, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily (will change to 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. effective June 20th) and the Information Kiosk on 17th Street on the Boardwalk from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend. For any questions, call the main Visitor Center at 757-385-7873.
City of Virginia Beach Development Authority Awards 20 Façade Improvement Grants - Twenty local, small businesses have won matching grants of up to $10,000 to improve their properties in Virginia Beach. The City of Virginia Beach Development Authority (VBDA) awarded the Façade Improvement Grants (FIG) to eligible Virginia Beach businesses to make exterior improvements to their buildings. For five years, this popular program has provided financial assistance to businesses and property owners for the improvement of commercial properties they own or rent. Since the program’s inception, VBDA has awarded $582,979 to 80 small businesses that have invested approximately $2.1 million in our community. The program, which is administered by the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development, provides the grants for improvements such as paint, fencing, parking upgrades, signage, accent or security lighting and other enhancements that will help improve the appearance and attractiveness of the property. For a list of the 2025 recipients and more information about the program for 2026, click here.
Summer Fest Live Music Series at Town Center Begins Tonight, Friday, May 23 - The Town Center Fountain Plaza will come alive with performances from local musicians and specialty guest acts starting tonight and running nightly through September 1st. This live music concert series is free and open to the public on the Fountain Plaza each night from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Check out the lineup found here. Come for the music and stay for the Town Center experience, including the 2025 Graduation Expressions Art Exhibit. Information on this special event honoring all academic achievers may be found here. For a complete list of Town Center restaurants, retailers, businesses and more information, visit towncentervb.com.
Virginia Beach’s 2nd Annual VB Street Art Festival to take place May 30 – June 1 - The ViBe Creative District announced this week that the 2nd Annual VB Street Art Festival, presented by The Runnymede Corporation, will take place May 30th – June 1st on 18th Street and 19th Street in the Resort’s ViBe Creative District. More than 95 artists applied to participate in 2025, creating a tough competition where only 15 artists could be selected by the Virginia Beach Public Art Committee. This year, artists represent Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Vancouver. All 15 artists will live paint new murals on the neighborhood identifier sculptures lining the corners of 18th Street from Cypress to Baltic and 19th Street from Parks Avenue to Baltic Avenue over the three-day weekend event. The public is encouraged to watch the action while walking the 1.5 mile loop. For all the details, including images and a list of the featured artists, click here.
Nominees Sought for 2025 Virginia Restaurant Lodging and Travel Association (VRLTA) Ordinary Awards - Hosted by the VRLTA, the prestigious Ordinary Awards celebrate and honor all of Virginia’s restaurants, lodging establishments and hotels, DMOs, attractions, and more. Simply ordinary is definitely 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 Hospitality Training Opportunities - 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. The organization also regularly 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.
2025 Miles Partnership Professional Development Dates - For more information about the following opportunities and/or to register to participate, visit https://www.milespartnership.com/how-we-think:
- 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 encourage everyone to try to take advantage of some of these informative sessions as your schedules allow. Feel free to share across your networks.
EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
Find the 2025 CVB Event Calendar here, the Virginia Beach Events entertainment schedule here, and a link to the many fun 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 April 2025 - Virginia Beach’s hotel occupancy rate for the month of April was up 3.1% from April of 2024, at 63.5% occupancy, but down -1.0% year to date. ADR was up 3.6% from April of 2024, at $139.10, and up 2.7% year to date. RevPAR was up 6.8% from April of 2024, at $88.38, and up 1.7% 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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