Visit Alexandria founders, city leaders and businesses from the hospitality industry gathered to celebrate the organization’s 30th anniversary and the tourism industry’s achievements Wednesday (Sept. 16).
The milestone came as Visit Alexandria reported strong financial results from visitor spending. At the Visit Alexandria meeting at The Westin Alexandria Old Town, Mayor Alyia Gaskins reported the city had reached a milestone of $1 billion in visitor spending in 2025 for the second consecutive calendar year. The figure applies to visitors coming to Alexandria from 50 or more miles away.
Visit Alexandria also reported that consumption tax revenue — sales, meals and lodging taxes — reached nearly $92 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
The mayor praised the work of Visit Alexandria to boost city revenue to support city services and increase visibility in all corners of the city.
“In every neighborhood from Old Town to Del Ray to Arlandria to every community that makes up the West End, there is somebody whose vision, whose ideas, and whose story is shaping this city,” Gaskins said. “I am such a cheerleader for Visit Alexandria because they are helping to tell that story and to make sure that everyone knows that we are not just a great place to live. We are an amazing place to visit, whether you stay for an hour, a weekend, a month, or much longer.”
The organization said Alexandria had a record $119 hotel revenue per available room rate, reaching a 3% year-over-year improvement after a 9.9% decline had been recorded up to January.
City Manager Jim Parajon said the work of Visit Alexandria helps families decide to choose the city as a destination for vacations and special events.
“The intentional focus of Visit Alexandria to be the city at that table is why we are successful as a tourism destination and why we will continue to be the one in the future,” Parajon said. “I want to offer my appreciation to Visit Alexandria, to you as we celebrate this important milestone. It truly is my honor to congratulate you on 30 great years, and how about 30 or 50 or 100 more?”
During the meeting, Visit Alexandria awarded its first-ever Tourism Champion Award to Charlotte Hall, who was a founding leader of the organization and executive director of the Old Town Business Association. The new award seeks to honor people who “have made significant and lasting contributions to enhancing the visitor experience, elevating Alexandria’s reputation as a destination, and strengthening the local tourism economy.”
“This year’s winner is someone who has been described as the Queen of King Street,” Visit Alexandria Board of Governors Chair Kate Ellis said. “She is a leader who has worked to ensure the City of Alexandria remains a top place to live, work and visit.”
Visit Alexandria’s former directors Patricia Washington and Stephanie Pace Brown as well as former City Manager Mark Jinks were also present to celebrate the organization’s anniversary. Visit Alexandria also recognized its first director Joanne Mitchell, Barbara Barton, former director of the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Bureau that preceded Visit Alexandria, and the late Mayor Kerry Donley who served when Visit Alexandria was founded.
“Over 30 years ago a group of leaders came together around a simple but powerful belief: Alexandria had a special story to unlock,” Visit Alexandria president and CEO Todd O’Leary said. “What began as a destination marketing effort has grown into a tourism economy, and this is what Alexandria is all about.”
The organization also introduced a “Taste of Alexandria” featuring bites from local businesses — Bastille and Maison Breizh, Fabled Ice Cream, Ted’s Montana Grill, The Majestic by Chef Santiago Lopez, the Spice & Tea Exchange and The Wharf Fine Seafood.
O’Leary noted this year had a few highlights for the organization — the Croatian National Football Team‘s stay in Alexandria during the FIFA World Cup and America250 celebrations like Sails on the Potomac. He said the events brought new visitors, boosted hotel room stays and introduced more people to the city’s businesses and landmarks.
“America’s 250th showcased Alexandria’s rich and evolving history in a city older than us and the United States itself,” O’Leary said. “Travelers also experienced Tall Ships at Sails on the Potomac, which was the largest America 250 event in Northern Virginia and the only event in the DC region featuring Sail 250 Tall Ships. And of course, the FIFA World Cup further elevated Alexandria’s profile, bringing unprecedented national and international attention to our community.”
Gaskins said she received hundreds of messages from Croatians and others seeking to visit the city due to the World Cup team’s visit. She noted the Ghana national football team briefly stopped in Alexandria because they saw a bit of their identity in the city.
“To me, that’s so exciting because what it shares is that when you experience our cities, you’re not just walking up and down and moving around and experiencing our waterfront,” Gaskins said. “You are interacting with the people who create the experience. And the feeling that reflects our values, that when you come to our city, we are a welcoming joy-filled place that likes to have fun.”
In 2026, Visit Alexandria had launched its “Unlock Your Story” destination marketing campaign to help visitors go beyond historical experiences to explore the city’s other features. Claire Mouledoux, senior vice president of marketing and communications, said there will be an upcoming holiday version of the campaign to support businesses. Visit Alexandria will also expand its neighborhood programs to promote tourism beyond Old Town.
Visit Alexandria indicated it is also leveraging artificial intelligence to support staff’s workflow and optimize where its marketing and advertising appear based on consumers’ increasing use of AI summaries.
“We don’t want this to replace the human touch,” said Mary Rinaldo, senior vice president of operations and finance for Visit Alexandria. “We certainly don’t want to take the authenticity out of our work, but we do want to give the team tools to just be as productive as possible.”
Another upcoming initiative will be the launch of accessibility advocacy training for Visit Alexandria members through a partnership with VisitAble.
“Our members will receive information about this exciting program, which will increase understanding of what travelers with disabilities need and how to create a welcoming experience,” Mouledoux said.
Building on the success of the last year, O’Leary said Visit Alexandria is looking to the future by embracing new technologies and seizing opportunities from international travelers.
“While tonight is certainly about looking back, it is equally about looking ahead because the story of Alexandria is still being written,” O’Leary said. “The tourism economy we’ll celebrate tonight wasn’t built overnight. It was shaped by visionary leaders, dedicated partners, and countless advocates who believed Alexandria was a destination the world needed to know about.”
