The city wants more locals to come to the Oceanfront after some businesses have struggled with what they say is declining foot traffic.
Virginia Beach advertises itself as a tourist destination through revenue generated through the industry, but the marketing focuses on nonlocal areas. About 14.3 million visitors spend a combined $2.6 billion each year.
Strategies to reach locals could reinforce the Oceanfront as a destination right in their backyard. The city is also continuing to urge residents to take advantage of a new voucher program that gives residents $50 of free resort area parking, which has signed up more than 7,800 people through July.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson and Councilmember Worth Remick, whose districts include part of the resort area, said the city wants to encourage more locals to visit.
“They can be a tourist in our own city,” Wilson said.
Some businesspeople have said they are still dealing with perceptions following violence in the springtime that resulted in a controversial temporary all-ages curfew. However, other businesses seem to have weathered publicity. Business and city leaders have said Virginia Beach also faces challenges of any tourist town, such as fuel prices and weather.
“There are restaurants all across Virginia Beach, especially at the Oceanfront area, that are down,” said Debbie Lou Hague, president of the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association. “So it’s concerning. I’m not sure if it’s because people are not eating as much, drinking as much or the gas prices are higher and it’s an all-three thing.”
Hague said the parking voucher program is a great idea that should reach more residents, perhaps by including information in utility bills.
Hotel numbers for June from the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau show the city outpacing other competitive markets in areas such as occupancy.
John Zirkle, president of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, said the emergency curfew may have discouraged some people initially, but business has been “pretty good” overall.
“The visitors that are coming in now, most of them are not even aware that there was a curfew, or if they knew it, they’ve forgotten about it already,” he said.
Some vacationers may not be spending as much on dining and shopping, he added.
D. Nachnani, president of the Atlantic Avenue Association, said the group’s members have seen a drop in business this year.
“We believe that, if locals come and visit our fine restaurants and they have stay-cations at our hotels, that they’re going to see what we already know: how unique and wonderful our local businesses are,” he said.
Recommendations for local marketing are being finalized and will be delivered to City Council.
In May, the council approved spending $1 million to reach visitors outside the region to counter publicity in the spring.
Recent discussions with the city have included ongoing concerns about parking and creating ways to get more timely information on how businesses that aren’t hotels are doing.
Last week, the need for local communications was part of public feedback sessions for the task force studying safety issues around the city, including at the Oceanfront.
Businessperson Daniel Heatwole, president of the Central Business District Association, is on the task force. He said that news coverage tends to focus on negative events but fostering a feeling of “welcoming and positivity” among residents influences how the city is seen.
“Obviously, tourism is the lifeblood of the city, and so promoting the Oceanfront is a huge aspect of that,” he said. “But really, we’re promoting the city as well and trying to tell our story.”
