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Buc-ee’s to open in New Kent by 2025
It’s official. Buc-ee’s, the Texas-size travel center chain, completed its purchase of property in New Kent County and will open its first Virginia location in the next two years, with three more slated across the state, S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. said in a news release. A groundbreaking date for the New Kent site has not […]
Fed 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) has contracted slightly since March, 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 [...]
Norfolk airport hotel is ‘desperately needed’
An influx of 200-seat airplanes is bringing record numbers of passengers into Norfolk International Airport, leading officials to fast-track infrastructure upgrades and pursue construction of an airport hotel. There is high demand for on-site lodging, especially among airline crews and travelers taking early morning flights, who often stay at downtown Norfolk hotels, says Norfolk Airport […[...]
Hilton CEO Nassetta to chair U.S. Travel Association
The U.S. Travel Association elected Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of McLean-based Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., as its national chair. The Washington, D.C.-based association, which represents the interests of more than 1,000 industry organizations, announced Nassetta’s election Thursday. As national chair, he will lead the association’s executive board and board of deleg[...]
January Va. hotel revenues surpass 2019
Virginia hotel revenues in January were 14.9% higher than pre-pandemic levels, largely due to higher hotel room rates, 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 increased by 5% last month compared with January 2019. The average […]
Fed’s Fifth District economy expands slightly
The economy in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (a multistate region including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) has expanded slightly since October, 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 [...]
Tourism, hospitality are rebounding, Youngkin says at VA1 summit
One of the big takeaways from the VA1 Governor’s Tourism Summit being held in Norfolk this week is that Virginia is ready and eager for travelers. Travel industry professionals from around the commonwealth are gathering at Hilton Norfolk The Main through Tuesday for the ninth annual state tourism industry conference, which is presented in part […]
On the road again
Business and leisure travelers are putting the pandemic in the rearview mirror and once again are filling Virginia hotels and resorts. While that’s good news, widespread staffing shortages continue to hamper the hospitality industry. Occupancy rates are almost back to 2019 numbers, with Northern Virginia finally seeing upticks as corporate and government travel has slowly […]
Back in business
Like the proverbial canary in the mineshaft, the state of the meetings and convention planning industry is a good barometer for predicting how well the economy is doing and what direction it is moving. Despite the persistence of COVID-19 variants, the canary is still singing a happy tune — as are meeting and convention planners […]
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 […]
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 […]
Amtrak to boost service in Norfolk, Roanoke, Newport News
Amtrak will add a third daily departure from Norfolk and a second daily departure from Roanoke on its Northeast Regional route, while also bolstering train service in Newport News, all beginning July 11. The train already departs from Norfolk early in the morning and mid-morning, so the third departure will be in the early afternoon. […]
