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Fairfax campaign hopes for tourism boost
Visitors to Fairfax County often are drawn to its dense, urban environment and entertainment offerings, from the upscale Tysons Corner Center mall to Wolf Trap. Now, the county’s southern portion is staking a claim to the tourism economy. In May, Fairfax officials announced a new name for that area, Potomac Banks, which encapsulates the Mount […]
Va. hotel revenues up slightly over 2019
Northern Virginia’s hotel market continues to be a drag on the lodging industry’s performance in the commonwealth as a whole, according to recently released data from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. The latest data show rooms sold decreased by 4.6% in Virginia through […]
Caesars ups Danville casino investment to $650M
Caesars Entertainment Inc. has once again upped its investment in the forthcoming Caesars Virginia casino and resort in Danville, this time from $500 million to $650 million, while announcing Wednesday that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is now a joint venture partner in the casino project. Plans for the casino include a 500-room hotel, […]
Downtown Norfolk Council adds 2 execs
The Downtown Norfolk Council announced two leadership changes Monday. Rachel McCall has been promoted to vice president, from director of strategic initiatives. She has been with DNC since 2014 in a variety of roles, advancing the NEON District — Norfolk’s arts district — and other initiatives. In her new role, she will manage placemaking, oversee […]
Southwest Va. builds outdoor rec centers
Southwest Virginia has two new centers welcoming outdoor adventurists and another on the way. With a grand opening set for August, the $1.5 million Back of the Dragon Welcome Center opened in Tazewell in May 2020. In Coeburn, Spearhead Trails opened a 22,000-square-foot activity center in its renovated Coeburn headquarters last year. And the $2.67 […]
A new look at Va. Beach’s Atlantic Park
The $350 million Atlantic Park surf park development planned for Virginia Beach’s Oceanfront will start construction in October or early November, developers told Virginia Business this week. Virginia Beach-based Venture Realty Group also shared new renderings of the project, which Venture has been co-developing with music icon and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams. In planning stages[...]
Statewide hotel revenues continue to lag 2019
Hotel revenues in Virginia for the first half of 2022 continued to lag behind 2019, and reduced business travel is still the culprit. That’s according to data released this week from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. Hotel rooms sold decreased by 4.6% in Virginia through June […]
Richmond’s Maymont wins $8M tourism grant
Updated July 20, 2022 Maymont Foundation, which maintains and runs Richmond’s Maymont park, was awarded an $8 million federal grant Tuesday to promote regional tourism, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration announced. With an additional $2 million in matching funds from the foundation, the EDA grant will be used for infrastructure improvements to [&helli[...]
Richmond Raceway names new president
When Lori Collier Waran was a young girl, she spent a lot of time around Richmond Raceway. Her grandparents lived just blocks away and her grandfather would volunteer to park cars so he could watch races. Sometimes Waran tagged along, too. “The raceway was sort of my playground,” she recalled. Now, the raceway will be […]
April Va. hotel revenues down slightly from pre-pandemic
Virginia hotel revenues in April were down 3.5% compared with pre-pandemic April 2019 revenues, largely due to the lagging Northern Virginia market, according to data released Wednesday by STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. Hotel rooms sold decreased by 4.7% last month, compared with […]
Va. restaurant, travel association names new VP
Richmond-based Virginia Restaurant Lodging & Travel Association has promoted Brittany Wojdyla to vice president of membership and business development, the organization announced Thursday. In her new role, Wojdyla will be responsible for leading the association’s membership efforts throughout the state, developing partnerships and sponsorships, managing events and overseeing marketing an[...]
Summer dreams
Tournaments at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Events at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. A busy Oceanfront boardwalk. That was the scene in Virginia Beach during just one weekend in mid-March. And it was the perfect “prelude” to the summer travel season, says John Zirkle, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Virginia Beach. “The […]
