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Kings Dominion parent Cedar Fair and Six Flags announce $2B merger
Cedar Fair Entertainment, the parent company of Kings Dominion, is merging with Six Flags Entertainment in an all-stock deal valued at $2 billion, the companies announced Thursday. Cedar Fair unitholders will own 51.2% and Six Flags shareholders will own approximately 48.8%. Together, the two companies will have a combined 27 amusement parks, 25 water parks […]
Distinguished visitors
Event planners and hospitality industry experts worldwide will converge upon Richmond to grow their professional networks, discuss the latest developments in the tourism sector and celebrate travel in Virginia during the 2023 VA1 Governor’s Tourism Summit. Taking place Nov. 12-14 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the event will offer workshops and classes focusing on […]
High cost, higher rewards
Michael Meyers is always looking for an advantage. Like many in the meetings industry, the Greater Richmond Convention Center’s general manager has seen his facility’s costs spike from inflation. Likewise, the price tag to run conferences has increased, so planners and venues are striving to ensure a good return on investment for attendees. And to […]
Conventional wisdom
Business-related travel and events are slowly making a comeback in the post-pandemic era. In 2022, visitors to Virginia spent $30.3 billion in the commonwealth, exceeding 2019 spending by 4%. Of that spending, $4.8 billion was from business travelers, says Dan Roberts, vice president of research and strategy for Virginia Tourism Corp. While none of the […]
$900M water park resort breaks ground in Spotsylvania
A massive water park resort has broken ground in Spotsylvania County. The 1.38 million-square-foot Spotsylvania County Kalahari Resort, located between U.S. Route 1 and Interstate 95 in Thornburg, north of Kings Dominion, is expected to offer a 907-room hotel, a 175,000-square-foot indoor waterpark featuring slides, a wave pool and surf park. Also planned are 10 […]
Fed’s Fifth District economy shrinks slightly
The economy in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (a multistate region including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) contracted slightly in recent weeks, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. Published eight times per year, the Beige Book is based on anecdotal information about economic conditions gathered [...]
Nasdaq triggers delisting process for Urban One
Nasdaq has begun the delisting process for Urban One, the Maryland-based media company behind the proposed casino in Richmond, because it has not filed quarterly finance reports for fiscal year 2023 on time. The stock exchange’s notification does not affect trading of Urban One or its presence on Nasdaq yet; according to a Friday news […]
Cruise lines add stops in Norfolk, Yorktown
Major cruise lines are launching expansions expected to propel Hampton Roads forward as a tourism destination, with new stops in Norfolk and Yorktown. In Norfolk, Carnival more than doubled the number of cruises departing to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean and New England this year with a schedule that now runs from May to October. […]
Richmond casino reintroduced with new name
The corporate backers of a $562 million Richmond casino on Thursday unveiled a new name for the resort casino city voters will consider approving this fall: Richmond Grand Resort & Casino. But not much else appears to be new about the proposed project. Many of the features of the proposed ONE Casino + Resort that […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: JIM McGLOTHLIN
McGlothlin has always had an innate sense for a good business opportunity. He built a fortune from coal mines and then pivoted to hospitality as the coal business began to recede. A William & Mary alumnus, McGlothlin has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a law degree. He started out as a lawyer in Grundy, […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: MICHAEL GEORGE
A 40-year hospitality industry veteran, George founded Crescent Hotels & Resorts in 2001. The company operates more than 90 hotels and resorts and more than 250 restaurants and bars in the U.S and Canada. Its hotel portfolio includes Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt brands, along with a collection of independent hotels and resorts. This spring, Crescent […]
