With visitation revenue at an all-time high, Alexandria’s tourism bureau forecasts an “ambitious” agenda for fiscal year 2025.
On Thursday, Visit Alexandria reported an 18% increase (to $941 million) in tourism spending in FY 2024. The city also saw $86 million in consumption tax revenues from sales, meals and lodging, a 6% increase. The largest consumption increase was in lodging, rising from $3 million during the pandemic to $15 million last year.
Alexandria is entering a “key moment of transition and opportunity” this year, Visit Alexandria Board Chair Kate Ellis wrote in the organization’s annual report.
“Alexandria is no longer a surprise—we are on the map,” Ellis wrote.
The City has been deemed one of the best small cities in the U.S., and the bureau has a number of new marketing initiatives, including a Hallmark-themed holiday promotion. The holiday campaign, “Merry Me”, was filmed last winter and reveals the city as a romantic holiday destination with a twist.
This year the organization also said goodbye to longtime CEO Patricia Washington and welcomed her successor Todd O’Leary, formerly vice president of marketing for Sonoma County Tourism.
The organization highlighted these upcoming initiatives:
- A yet-to-be-scheduled economic summit in FY 2025
- A tourism increase related to the presidential inauguration in January
- From May 23 to June 8, the D.C. metro area will host WorldPride, a global-level event forecast to attract millions of participants
- An expansion of Visit Alexandria’s “Best Kept Shh!” campaign to attract small and midsize meetings
