Hospitality | Tourism 2025: ERIC TERRY

With four decades of hospitality experience, Terry has advocated for the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association’s 1,500-plus industry members since joining as president in 2014.

VRLTA and Virginia Tourism Corp. announced in June that the 2026 VA1 Governor’s Tourism Summit — an annual gathering of 500-plus tourism professionals — will be at the Kalahari Resort in Spotsylvania County in November 2026, the resort’s opening month.

Before joining VRLTA, Terry held marketing and sales leadership roles at Redstone Companies Hospitality, Benchmark Hospitality and Malibu Entertainment Worldwide. He also served as president of Xelerate Group, a marketing agency he launched in 2002.

Over the course of his career, Terry has worked for Hollywood Casino/Pratt Hotel, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, and the Busch Gardens theme park when it was owned by Anheuser-Busch.

He received a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from Virginia Tech in 1982. Terry serves on the Virginia Tech Hospitality &

Tourism Management Advisory Board. He’s also a member of the AHLA Foundation’s board.

FIRST JOB: Pizza cook at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Virginia Tech Hokies

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