The Scoop: Visit Alexandria’s “What’s New 2025” Meeting

LifestyleEvents
Written By Rainbow Kirby

More than 100 business professionals gathered at Virginia Tech’s new Innovation Campus at Potomac Yard last week to attend Visit Alexandria’s “What’s New 2025” meeting, sponsored by Burke & Herbert Bank and Wegmans. This is always a great event to reconnect, network, and hear about the challenges, accomplishments and new developments coming to the city we all love. Being in the know about the new shops, experiences and restaurants opening – is an added bonus for attending. It was also very cool to check out the brand new digs of VT, Hokie or not.

The good news: Todd O’Leary, President and CEO of Visit Alexandria, shared that in 2024, spending by Alexandria Visitors (from 50+ Miles) was up 17.6%. Overall survey ratings for Alexandria were high: Alexandria as a place to visit (94%); Alexandria as a place to live (88%) and Alexandria as a place to work (74%). Alexandria as a place to retire was (45%), though not surprising.

The Tourism Outlook & Trends presentation from Vito Fiore, Vice President of Marketing and Research at Visit Alexandria, was especially insightful as he addressed how executive orders may impact our local economy. Behind him a screenshot pulled from a Forbes headline stood out: “Canadian Road Trippers Boycotting U.S. Could Mean a $4 Billion Economic Loss” and he elaborated on the potential downside to travel from trade wars. 

Fiore also shared that most visitors plan their Alexandria trip within a month, with many deciding just weeks ahead. On average, visitors spent $630 per day (per travel party), with lodging, dining, and shopping as top categories. The importance of “getting a good value” for travel decisons spans incomes with even affluent travelers seeking value.

Moving to the hot topic of AI and the rise of machine learning, the hospitality industry is one that is embracing personalization and trip planning, moving from chatbots to agents. Yet for all the talk, Fiore noted that it has not yet gained significant ground, with 15.1% being the highest (last November) for travelers who used AI for travel planning. 

Research firm Future Partners shared insights from their 2024 Alexandria Visitor Profile: travelers rate Alexandria highly for its welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, unique history, family-friendly activities, and walkability. Also notable: Alexandria generates a high rate of visitor loyalty, with nearly 80% of visitors likely to visit Alexandria again within the next year.

Virginia Tech’s Kristin M. Lamoureux, Ph.D., Director of Hospitality and Tourism Graduate Program shared an overview of the school’s new offerings. For those looking to upskill and reskill, yes, this degree is available right here in our backyard. Later, a few of the graduate students (not on spring break) illustrated their hospitality skills by providing tours of the campus that included ultra-modern classrooms, the Drone Lab, the Tree House and rooftop with amazing views of the Potomac. We also stepped into an interactive exhibit, The Stone Carver’s Brain, a sensory 3D experience with immersive technology that transports you into a stone carver’s mind— where sight, sound and touch bring the experience to life. It was incredibly engaging and I could have easily spent an hour in that room alone.

More highlights:

  • Public Art at Waterfront Park: Break Water by Nekisha Durrett. The sculpture draws inspiration from Alexandria’s waterfront being a place where natural forces and human activity intersect, often with profound consequences. This is the seventh installment of the City of Alexandria’s Site See: New Views in Old Town Series. Opening event: Saturday, March 22 and it will remain on display through November.

  • PNC Alexandria Half on April 27: The inaugural event organized by Pacers Running will replace the PNC Parkway Classic 10 Miler with a new half marathon course that starts and finishes in Old Town. This also includes a 5K and Kids Dash.

  • World Pride: Washington DC 2025: Alexandria welcomes LGBTQ+ couples, families and friends to stay in and explore the city during WorldPride 2025 from May 17 to June 8, and beyond. Alexandria has received a perfect score for LGBTQ+ equality for five years in a row, by the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index.

Thank you to Visit Alexandria for hosting a great spring kickoff, see more of their highlights here. 

* Sources: City of Alexandria Office of Performance Analytics; Future Partners, 2024 Alexandria Visitor Profile

RELATED:  Street Style: Meet Todd O’Leary of Visit Alexandria

Rainbow Kirby

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Rainbow (yes, real name) has called Alexandria home for seven years. A transplant from New York City, the charm and historic beauty of Old Town convinced her to take the leap, as did husband Drew who recently retired from the Air Force. She is mom to twin, teenage stepsons and young daughter, Indigo.

Her 20+ year career experience spans brand building, business development, content marketing and event planning for companies including Clear Channel, Runner’s World, Disney, The New York Jets and The Female Quotient. Rainbow received her Masters in Integrated Marketing from New York University, and digital marketing certification from the University of Virginia. 

As Managing Editor, she is focused on boosting engagement for Stylebook and its contributors--the local businesses of Alexandria that make it one of the best small cities in the country!

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