viewpoint Tourism Tackling COVID-19 HOTELS PERSPECTIVE | The tourism industry is a prominent economic engine in the commonwealth of Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. In Virginia Beach, tourism represents the largest private sector industry, typically providing $60 million annually to the General Fund. The industry provides added quality of life for area residents, and guests and residents alike benefit tremendously from the offerings of quality restaurants, hotels and attractions, in addition to entertainment options. All of the tourism stakeholders have had to grapple with challenges from the pandemic and it continues to be a struggle for everyone. People have lost lives and businesses face immense hardships. Furloughs have occurred and restrictions have forced creative ways of running local hotels and restaurants. Sports tournament directors have changed their ways of doing business and the city of Virginia Beach has adapted and supported the industry by offering Beach Ambassadors and other supportive policy decisions. Virginia Beach hotel occupancy boasted the No. 1 nationwide spot for Destination Marketing Areas (DMA) for 16 weeks during the summer and into the fall of 2020. Although occupancy numbers fared better in our destination than others, Virginia Beach revenue fell $87.9 million from the prior calendar year when comparing 2019 to 2020. The winter of 2020 and into 2021 appears bleak as we face declining occupancy and revenue. We now expect the winter business forecasted from the opening of the new Virginia Beach Sports Center to occur at later dates due to rescheduling caused by COVID-19 restrictions. The hotel industry looks forward to warm weather and the wide distribution of the vaccine. We continue to hold cleanliness as a priority in all the properties and we forecast a strong summer, when pent-up demand for travel becomes a reality. The hotels welcome residents in the area to consider the gift of employment that tourism provides. Customer service skills and a desire to welcome others to our destination are the winning ingredients. We look forward to sharing our offerings of employment in 2021 at www.vbha.net or virginiabeachhotelassociation.com/find-a-virginia-beach-hotel-job/ or by emailing diana.burke@vbha.net for more information. Special congratulations and thanks to executive office manager, Deborah Buringa, as she celebrates 20 years of service to the Virginia Beach Hotel Association.
[ by Diane Burke ]
In Virginia Beach, tourism represents the largest private sector industry, typically providing $60 million annually to the General Fund.
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Diana Burke, executive director, Virginia Beach Hotel Association (VBHA), serves on a variety of boards including the Hampton Roads Chamber, Patriotic Festival, Virginia Beach Tour and Travel Foundation and the Virginia Tech Howard Feiertag Hospitality and Tourism Management Board.
RESTAURANTS PERSPECTIVE | The saying “business as usual” is not one that you have heard, or will hear, anytime soon from the restaurants in Virginia Beach. Under Governor Northam’s Executive Order 72, and as of press time, it was extended through the end of February 2021, restaurants have restrictions of 50 percent capacity with six feet of spacing between tables, bringing their capacity down to about 40 percent. Included in this order, they may not offer bar seating and alcohol sales and consumption ends at 10 p.m.
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feb-apr 2021 | boulevard
[ by Stacey Shiflet ]
