Category: Tourism and Hospitality
By Danielle Walker
danielle.walker@insidebiz.com
Passport applicants using out-of-state driver's licenses will now be required to submit a second form of ID with their passport applications.
The new procedure, announced by the U.S. Department of State, comes as a change to the July 2009 standard, which encouraged review of secondary ID materials for out-of-state applicants, but did not require them to be submitted.
By Danielle Walker
danielle.walker@insidebiz.com
As more than 45,000 players, coaches and spectators prepare to attend the 44th annual Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games, local businesses look forward to the event, which is sure to bring in revenue for the host region. From July 29 through Aug. 7, young athletes will compete in venues throughout Hampton Roads.
One sports market researcher says the region should expect an economic impact of $20 million to $30 million for the event.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
The Pagoda Garden Teahouse is a Norfolk landmark, as are the mermaids that dot the city's landscapes.
One of the mermaids is perched on the Elizabeth River waterfront, in front of the pagoda, and now transformed after a painstaking, three-month restoration.
The statuesque sea nymph was looking a little worse for wear. For years, she had withstood the elements - the wind, the rain, the salt from the brackish river water.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
Virginia Senate Minority Leader Thomas Norment last week criticized the new Williamsburg Tourist Information Center, saying it was ill-conceived.
Meanwhile, the center's director announced the center is abandoning plans to seek public money and will provide its own funding.
By Danielle Walker
danielle.walker@insidebiz.com
Venue holders need to know what meeting planners want - and planners want to know they have it.
This summer, Benchmark Hospitality International, a national hospitality management company that manages Founders Inn and Spa in Virginia Beach, released its top meeting trends for 2010. Inside Business has the rundown on trends spotted throughout Benchmark properties.
By Danielle Walker
danielle.walker@insidebiz.com
While Norfolk still holds hope for new cruise line bookings to offset the loss of cruise giant Royal Caribbean, the recovery process appears slowgoing.
With passenger counts and ship departures on the decline, Norfolk's cruise business may have a rough patch ahead before times improve.
"Our season in Norfolk was limited to seven sailings last year," said Harrison Liu, spokesman for Royal Caribbean cruise lines.
In 2009, the sailings were made by cruise ship Grandeur of the Seas.
Press release from Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau, the official destination marketing organization for the City of Norfolk, is proud to officially unveil its new name, VisitNorfolk.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
A lack of support letters has left the new Greater Williamsburg Tourist Information Center sitting without any interstate signs directing drivers to the new venue.
The Williamsburg Hotel and Motel Association spent $200,000 renovating its offices into the tourist center. It had a "soft" opening in the spring, but it has no signs directing tourists driving on Interstate 64 to the center, which is at the Village Shops at Kingsmill.
By Danielle Walker
danielle.walker@insidebiz.com
After a record low year of ship traffic in 2009, which recorded the fewest sailings since 2001, with only 17 cruises, Norfolk has been faced with another industry blow - Royal Caribbean's decision to pull the Royal Enchantment of the Seas from the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center port.
Royal Caribbean will still sail the two cruises scheduled for this summer, but the line will not return to Norfolk for the 2011 cruise season.
By Danielle Walker
danielle.walker@insidebiz.com
One of Virginia's most lucrative industies is the tourism market. Still, due to a shaky economy, tides turn quickly in the industry. Here's a roundup of the latest news.
Local Level Norfolk International Airport showed an annual decrease in passenger activity by 7.45 percent. Figures from April 2009 showed a passenger count of 301,295 travelers, while the 2010 count was at 278, 855 passengers.
