Visit Alexandria announced a comprehensive neighborhoods initiative designed to distribute tourism’s economic benefits across all areas of the city while encouraging visitors to explore beyond the traditional Old Town corridor.
The initiative centers on a new Neighborhoods Hub on the organization’s website, featuring an interactive map, enhanced content, embedded videos, and expanded storytelling about Alexandria’s diverse communities, Claire Mouledoux, senior vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Alexandria, said during the organization’s annual meeting Sept. 25.
“A major priority for us is the promotion of Alexandria’s neighborhoods and our experiences throughout the city so we can extend the benefits of tourism to all corners of the community,” Mouledoux said. “It’s also a key strategy to extend length of stay as well as give regional visitors even more reasons to visit often and explore more.”
The neighborhoods program launches as Alexandria reaches a historic milestone of $1 billion in visitor spending for the first time, with tourism revenues growing 8% in the past year.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins emphasized the significance of this achievement during the annual meeting.
“We are a billion-dollar tourism industry. And I don’t know about you, but every time I hear that, I’m a little blown away,” Gaskins said. “People are not going anywhere. They’re saying, I want to come to Alexandria. They’re saying that Alexandria is the place that I want to be.”
Visit Alexandria anticipates that the enhanced neighborhood content and experiences will help distribute visitor traffic more evenly across the destination during America’s 250th birthday celebrations in 2026.
President and CEO Todd O’Leary said the organization is ramping up for semiquincentennial celebrations, including America 250, Virginia 250, and Sail 250 events that will draw national attention to Alexandria leading up to and throughout 2026.
“At the same time, we’re set to debut our newest neighborhood content, shining more of a spotlight on the vibrancy and diversity of Alexandria’s neighborhoods across our entire destination promotion platforms,” O’Leary said.
Visit Alexandria developed the neighborhoods’ content in partnership with the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership and neighborhood business associations throughout the city. Several neighborhood groups participated in the annual meeting, demonstrating the collaborative approach to the initiative.
The program aligns with Visit Alexandria’s newly adopted five-year strategic plan, which emphasizes destination management and creating immersive visitor experiences. The plan calls for developing at least 50 unique visitor experiences by the end of fiscal year 2030 and growing the organization’s annual budget to $7 million.
The initiative extends beyond digital marketing to include storytelling around small businesses and local voices throughout Alexandria’s neighborhoods. Visit Alexandria seeks stories from member businesses about what makes them unique, their areas of expertise, family histories, and connections to their neighborhoods.
Gaskins highlighted the collaborative nature of Alexandria’s tourism success and its focus on inclusivity.
“We create an experience that you can only find here in our city. And I want to take a minute because that just doesn’t happen overnight. It happens because of each and every one of you,” she said. “When you come to Alexandria, if there’s one thing I know, we’ve got some good people. And I think it’s because we have worked so hard to make sure that we are a welcoming and inclusive city where when anyone comes, whether they’re coming to live here, stay here, or visit here, they feel like they belong.”
“These efforts, through our content and media relations strategies, are meant to connect with and motivate visitors at an emotional level,” Mouledoux said. “These richer and more nuanced stories get to the heart of what makes Alexandria so special.”
The organization has also aligned efforts with new top-tier agency partners for both marketing and public relations to develop a comprehensive destination marketing campaign.
“This high-level alignment ensures that every message, campaign, and piece of content works in concert—amplifying Alexandria’s myriad stories and connecting visitors more deeply with our members, and our city,” O’Leary said.
Visit Alexandria plans to drive traffic to the neighborhood landing pages through its comprehensive suite of destination promotion channels in the coming weeks and months. The fresh visuals and content will be integrated across the organization’s marketing platforms, according to Visit Alexandria.
The Neighborhoods initiative also supports Visit Alexandria’s goal of creating cooperative marketing opportunities for members by the fiscal year 2027. The organization plans to develop member programs that showcase how businesses can tie into neighborhood promotion efforts and directly benefit from destination marketing.
O’Leary emphasized the organization’s commitment to data-driven decision-making and expanded member support programs.
“We’re continuing to double down on access to data, insights, and research—so we can make smarter decisions and better support our members to do the same,” he said. “I’m excited about (the) new member programming that we’re creating, including a Member Orientation, and a series of Educational Programming.”
The neighborhoods program comes as Alexandria continues to gain national recognition, with Travel + Leisure recently ranking it among the top five U.S. cities for the ninth consecutive year. City consumption tax revenues from visitor spending reached $88 million in fiscal year 2025, supporting core city services and saving the average Alexandria household $832 annually.
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