Latest news with #Oceanfront
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warner hears about challenges to Oceanfront economy
VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) listened Friday morning to the challenges facing restaurants, hotels and attractions that make up the local tourism economy as part of a roundtable discussion on the stage of the city's newest attraction, The Dome. Previously: Virginia Beach tourism fuels $3.8 billion into local economy, report finds The head of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, John Zirkle, reminded Warner about a successful Memorial Day weekend, with on tap this weekend, and the the following weekend. It highlighted a subsegment of Oceanfront tourism — sports tourism. 'This whole notion of sports tourism didn't exist 20 years ago,' Warner told the panel and about 100 invited guests. Mike Mauch, head of the , made his pitch to Warner. 'If there's any possible way to find funding mechanisms to help us to provide an even more broad spectrum of sports tourism, that would benefit the entire city,' Mauch said. Zirkle cited 2023 figures, the latest available, about tourism overall: 14.1 million visitors to Virginia Beach with an economic impact of $3.8 billion. However, he said tariffs are making towels, sheets and blankets more and more expensive. 'We need some help with getting the tariffs under control,' Zirkle said. 'The back and forth is causing huge delays in shipping. It's causing huge price increases.' And then there's an 80% funding cut for what's known as , the marketing of destinations in the U.S. to international tourists. 'As we look at international travel declining, whether it's Canadian or other countries that are off, it's really important that we get that [funding] back,' said Eric Terry, head of the . North End native and landscape architect Billy Almond of the Resort Advisory Commission talked about resiliency. 'In my lifetime, I have seen the beach change dramatically,' he said. 'All the sand that we put at the south end is on 89th Street. We have a huge resource that needs to be studied and protected.' 'That's something I can take on,' Warner told reporters afterward. 'Unfortunately, there are efforts in Washington right now to cut out all resiliency funds. That makes no sense. If the beach erodes away, then a lot of this economy is going to be in real trouble.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
VB Oceanfront businesses hopeful for busy summer season
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Oceanfront businesses are hopeful for a busy summer season on the horizon as its unofficial start came with the sunset of the Memorial Day weekend. 'It's like Virginia Beach's comeback summer,' said Heidi Stephenson of Ocean Eddie's. 'It's a lot of people down here. We have a lot of events that are going on. It's really going to bring the community together.' Expectations are high for the summer season at the Oceanfront. 'The boardwalk area is so beautiful,' said visitor Ryan Brady. 'It's a cloudy day out here today, but still [it's] so awesome to see so many people.' Even with large crowds, people have packed their patience. 'Everyone has been so understanding and patient, especially with the crowds at every single restaurant being absolutely jam-packed, said Ocean Eddie's employee Madeline Wallace. 'Everyone has been so understanding and nice. It's VB. That's all I can say. It's VB.' From the restaurants to the fishing pier, businesses were busy with the influx of tourists and visitors this Memorial Day weekend. Even with the large crowds, many still took time to remember what this holiday is all about: honoring the men and women in uniform. 'Just showing them love because I feel like they don't get enough love in the world today, so we just try to give them the love that we can — and that's our effort, our time and love,' said Ocean Eddie's employee Juh-Daar Sawyer. Visitor Zach Nipper said he is 'very thankful for what they have done and what the friends and families of them have done in the past too.' It was a safe weekend too. Officials hope that continues. 'At 6 p.m. we go from, on a regular day, from 41 stands down to 15,' said Tom Gill, chief of the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service. 'Always move your family in front of that lifeguard stand that is staffed and ready to go and when the lifeguard's not here, [it's] probably not a good time to go in the water.' Fun times are predicted to roll all summer long. 'Just come out and enjoy a great summer down here at Virginia Beach,' Gill said. Said visitor Jake Arnold: 'Hopefully they can continue doing that during the summer months.'Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
