Alexandria’s mayor wants to keep the connection going with Croatia after the city hosted the Croatian National Football Team as its World Cup home base.
At Alexandria City Council’s meeting Tuesday (Sept. 22), Mayor Alyia Gaskins proposed a memo to establish a friendship city with Osijek, Croatia.
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.
What a summer it’s been for tourism in Alexandria.
With tourism boosted by America’s 250th birthday celebration and Alexandria’s participation in a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” hosting a World Cup team, Visit Alexandria CEO Todd O’Leary and staff reported to City Council on Tuesday night (Sept. 8) that hotel stays are up, revenue per available room is up and so is the percentage of visitors staying overnight.
Alexandria is looking for ways to relieve businesses from the years-long renovation impacts of City Hall and Market Square in Old Town.
With parking temporarily halted on the streets next to the property at 301 King Street, sidewalks closed and the sound of continual construction, businesses in a one-block radius of the building are feeling the effects.
Foodies will have the chance to try new eateries or return to old favorites during the next Alexandria Restaurant Week in August.
Alexandria Restaurant Week, held twice a year in January and August, will be held over 10 days from Friday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 23. Full-service restaurants will serve prix fixe dinner menus at $35, $45 or $55 per person, and fast casual restaurants will have their own offers.
It’s been a busy summer so far for Visit Alexandria.
Fresh off the heels of Croatia’s national soccer team using the city as a base camp during the World Cup, America’s 250th celebration and the city’s birthday, Visit Alexandria’s CEO Todd O’Leary expects a sleepy August, followed by a busy fall full of parades, art festivals and holiday events.
Alexandria’s ranking isn’t as high as last year on Travel + Leisure’s annual “Best Cities in the U.S.” list, but it has remained in the top 10.
Travel + Leisure announced the winners of the 2026 World’s Best Awards yesterday (July 7). Winners were determined by feedback from about 207,000 readers around the world.
Rare Croatian stamps will be on display at the Torpedo Factory Art Center this week as part of a cultural exchange with Croatia, as Alexandria is expected to host the country’s national soccer team base camp during the 2026 World Cup.
The exhibit marks the first time that the stamp collection, “Discover Croatia: A Journey Through Tiny Windows of History,” has been moved outside of its home country. The exhibit by the Croatian Post and the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was unveiled yesterday (Monday) at a ceremony with Croatian Ambassador to the U.S. Pjer Šimunović and Mayor Alyia Gaskins.
Alexandria is vying for its ninth consecutive ranking in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. The city is nominated in the “Cities” category and hopes to retain its place among the “Best Small Cities in the U.S.”
Visit Alexandria, the city’s tourism organization, is asking for public support to keep Alexandria on the list. High-profile rankings in Condé Nast Traveler and other publications are one of the organization’s strategies to boost visitor-related tax revenues that fund core city services.
Visit Alexandria‘s newest marketing campaign is tapping into the stories behind businesses, tourist attractions and unique personalities.
From now until June, the Unlock Your Story campaign will tell stories all over Alexandria, focusing on the city’s history, small attractions, and unique small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs. The promotion follows Visit Alexandria’s Best Kept Shh! campaign, which launched three years ago and positioned Alexandria as the region’s best kept secret.
Soccer fans in Alexandria are in for a treat, as the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has announced it will be staying in Alexandria during the FIFA World Cup this summer.
The team’s base camp will be in Alexandria, where players will stay at the AKA Hotel at 625 First Street in Old Town and train at Episcopal High School as they participate in the World Cup. Games will take place across Canada, Mexico and the United States from Jun. 11 through July 19.
