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Hospitality | Tourism 2023: RITA D. McCLENNY
As head of the state’s tourism agency since 2012, McClenny has seen the industry through ups and downs. In the wake of the pandemic, she helped secure federal dollars to assist statewide tourism rebound. In 2021, 102 million visitors spent $25.2 billion in Virginia, according to a study released by the agency last fall, still […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: JUSTIN G. KNIGHT
As CEO of Apple Hospitality, a publicly traded real estate investment trust, Knight oversees about 220 hotels, mainly Hilton and Marriott brands, in 37 states. He took over from his father, founder Glade Knight, in 2014. The elder Knight serves as executive chairman of the 16-year-old REIT. For fiscal year 2022, Apple reported almost $1.24 […]
Va. hotel revenues up, rooms sold still lower than 2019
Virginia’s hotel industry is continuing its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but revenue increases are being driven by high room rates, rather than more travelers. That’s according to a report released Friday by Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. According to the center’s analysis of data from STR Inc., a division […]
Richmond casino returning to Nov. ballots
It wasn’t exactly a surprise, but the Virginia Lottery and the Richmond Circuit Court have approved Richmond’s do-over casino referendum to appear on ballots this fall. “I am excited to see the Virginia Lottery and the Richmond Circuit Court approve the referendum for a Richmond destination resort and entertainment venue that will provide 1,300 good-paying […]
Luxury RV park sets sights on Danville
Danville visitors could soon be setting up camp at the area’s first luxury RV park if City Council approves a special use permit for The Palace Resort, a project that could generate $1.3 million in annual city tax revenue. The matter was set to go before Danville City Council on June 20, following the planning […]
FloydFest cancelation causes economic ripples
FloydFest, a five-day celebration showcasing more than 100 performers, has had an annual regional economic impact of about $4 million since its 2002 founding, according to festival organizers. Even so, county officials and local business owners seem to be taking a “c’est la vie” attitude to the cancelation in April of this year’s FloydFest, which […]
2023 Va. hotel revenues up 12.9% over pre-pandemic
Hotel revenues in the commonwealth this year were 12.9% higher from January through May, compared with pre-pandemic business during the same period in 2019, according to data released Tuesday by STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. Hotel rooms sold were about the same compared […]
Richmond City Council passes casino legislation — again
Richmond City Council on Monday selected RVA Entertainment Holdings LLC — a joint venture between Urban One Inc. and Churchill Downs Inc. — as the city’s preferred casino operator, one of several administrative steps the city must take before a mulligan casino referendum lands on ballots in November, asking voters to reconsider allowing the proposed […]
Rain and wind delay Something in the Water’s start
Rain and high winds delayed the start of Pharrell Williams’ Virginia Beach music festival Something in the Water by about four hours Friday, leaving fans and businesses waiting for the weather to clear. Scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. Friday, the festival was delayed until 5 p.m. Instead of being filled with throngs of music […]
Regional TIDs generate tourism marketing bucks
Tourism improvement districts are new to Virginia, but they’ve been in place elsewhere for two decades. Designated areas that raise funds for tourism marketing through hotel assessments, TIDs were passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2021, and a Richmond-area TID is expected to launch this year. “There are more than 200 TIDs already in […]
Pack your bags
Although hospitality in Northern Virginia is taking its time toward a full comeback, there are a few signs that the industry is bouncing back — chiefly midweek hotel bookings. Business travelers, the bread and butter of Washington, D.C.’s hospitality industry, are more likely to purchase last-minute plane tickets that cost more, spend more on meals […]
Va. tourism pitch hits Saks Fifth Ave. windows
New Yorkers and Manhattan visitors will spot an intriguing sight at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship department store — two windows featuring a Virginia tourism campaign. Virginia Tourism Corp., United Airlines and Saks partnered to highlight three high-end resorts in Virginia — the Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club in Virginia Beach, Keswick Hall in […]
