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State offering relief grants to destination marketing organizations
A new state relief program, the WanderLOVE Recovery Grant Program, will provide up to 50 grants of up to $10,000 apiece to destination marketing organizations (DMOs) across the commonwealth that have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday. The program, which is being administered by the Virginia Tourism Corp., began […]
Va. hotel revenues still down by more than 60%
Even as Phase Three of Virginia’s reopening plan looms on the horizon, Virginia hotels are continuing to see revenues dropping. in the second week in June by 64% compared to the same time a year ago, according to findings released Thursday by Old Dominion University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy. Rooms sold were […]
Hilton lays off 2.1K employees, extends furloughs
As hotels continue to struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic, McLean-based Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday it is laying off 2,100 corporate employees — more than 20% of its corporate workforce. The company is also extending furloughs, reduced hours and corporate pay reductions, which were first announced in March, for up to an extra 90 […]
Colonial Williamsburg to reopen on limited basis June 14
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation announced Friday that it will open for limited public programming at some of its historic sites on June 14 while the state moves into Phase 2 of Gov. Ralph Northam’s “Forward Virginia” plan. “We are eager to welcome employees and guests back to Colonial Williamsburg, but reopening our public sites requires […]
Chincoteague pony swim canceled for first time since WWII
For the first time since World War II, the annual Chincoteague Pony Penning celebration, scheduled to begin July 2, has been canceled, Alex Tucker, president of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company Inc. announced Monday. “Please understand that this was not an easy decision to make, with the last pony penning being canceled over 78 years […]
Sorry, we’re CLOSED
“April is the cruelest month,” T.S. Eliot wrote, but for the hospitality and tourism industries, the cruelty began in March. With conferences and conventions canceling reservations amid the pandemic, hotels and convention centers across the commonwealth have temporarily shut down operations, furloughing and laying off workers. By late March, Virginia lost more than 23,000 hotel […]
Colonial Williamsburg extends closures through May, plans additional furloughs
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is extending its closures through May 31 and is furloughing additional staff. The nonprofit, which owns and operates the Historic Area, museums, hotels, restaurants and other attractions, had originally announced closures would last through April 30. The Williamsburg Lodge, which has remained open to assist the city and public health officials with […]
COVID-19 disrupts Va. tourism as season ramps up
RICHMOND, Va. — Michael Moore has always enjoyed his job as wine trail guide with Top Shelf Transportation. He said the job is about more than wine. “I get people anything they need,” Moore said. “I’m like a rolling concierge.” Moore, 71, works in the Monticello Wine Trail region, which encompasses parts of Albermarle and […]
Pharrell’s Something in the Water festival canceled due to coronavirus
Virginia Beach’s Something in the Water 2020 festival has been canceled due to the growing coronavirus crisis. It will return on April 23-25, 2021, according to organizers. The brainchild of Grammy-winning musician and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams, the festival premiered in spring 2019, selling 35,000 tickets and drawing crowds of 12,000 to 15,000 people […]
Beer Marketing & Tourism Conference coming to Richmond in 2021
Richmond will play host to next year’s Beer Marketing & Tourism Conference, Richmond Region Tourism announced Friday. The annual conference draws attendees from breweries, guilds, tour operators, marketing agencies and media from around the country. The 2021 conference will take place Feb. 23-25, 2021, at the Omni Richmond Hotel downtown. Richmond’s craft beer profile has […]
Top-ranked Virginia hotel has 23 rooms and five stars
After analyzing more than 30,000 hotels in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, the U.S. News & World Report released its Best Hotels in the USA 2020 rankings on Tuesday, and three five-star Virginia hotels topped the list of the best hotels in the commonwealth. The Inn at Little Washington, a five-star […]
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation taps new executive director
American Civil War Museum CEO Christy Coleman has been tapped as executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. She replaces the foundation’s longtime leader, Philip G. Emerson, who is retiring on Dec. 31 after 28 years. Coleman, who starts at JYF on Jan. 21, previously held leadership positions at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African […]
