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A watershed moment
Only a few months ago, the economies of the historic port city of Norfolk and the greater Hampton Roads region, with which it is inextricably intertwined, were continuing to rebound after emerging from what Old Dominion University’s 2019 State of the Region report has called “the lost decade.” During the period from 2007 t[...]
Bath County hit hard by resort closures
Communities across the state are hurting from coronavirus-related layoffs and closures, but in Bath County, “it’s devastating,” says state Sen. Creigh Deeds, whose law practice is located on Hot Springs’ Main Street. “Two major employers are closed,” he says, referring to The Omni Homestead Resort and The Greenbrier [...]
Conference hotels
Read more from the cover story package: Unconventional times — Hotels closed, workers furloughed as convention biz dries up Virginia hotels, attractions shut down during pandemic Delay of game — Sports tourism takes a timeout amid coronavirus Subscribe to Virginia Business. Get our daily e-newsletter.
Delay of game
The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed one of Virginia’s growing economic drivers: sports tourism. But even amid mass cancellations and lost revenue, tourism officials hold out hope that, for the sports sector at least, there can be recovery. “Over the years, sports tournaments and competitions have generally been recession-res[...]
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 wo[...]
Unconventional times
After recent visits to Savannah, Georgia, and St. Louis, Missouri, Pete Kingwill is bringing the annual Police Fleet Expo to Richmond in August. The Chicago-area-based meeting planner has been scouting locations in Virginia and North Carolina for a while now, knowing that the Southern states checked many of the boxes for what’[...]
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 ope[...]
Virginia Aquarium names VP of marketing
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach announced Thursday it has named Natalie Sims as its vice president of marketing. Sims was most recently the marketing senior leader for SeaWorld, Aquatica and Sesame Place in San Diego, and previously the marketing director for Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. I[...]
The show must not go on
Abingdon’s Barter Theatre – the nation’s oldest Actors’ Equity Union theater – has closed the curtain on its spring season. The theater, which opened in 1933 during the Great Depression, announced March 19 it would furlough 87 of its employees, then days later furloughed six more. This left a skeleton crew of 11 to fun[...]
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 A[...]
Walk this way
Virginia Business virtually sat down with Joshua Weinstein, founder of Norfolk Tour Co., which provides public and private tour services in downtown Norfolk and surrounding areas. This is part of an ongoing series of conversations with Virginians about how their work lives and businesses have changed during the pandemic. Virg[...]
Richmond EDA to offer no-interest loans to small businesses hurt by crisis
The Richmond Economic Development Authority announced Thursday it will begin offering no-interest loans up to $20,000 to small businesses harmed by the COVID-19 crisis. The Richmond EDA has made $1 million available for the relief fund, according to the city’s economic development director, Leonard Sledge. Businesses based within the city limits with fewer than 25 […]
