Photo by K Summerer for Visit Alexandria
King Street in Old Town Alexandria
Visitor spending in Alexandria topped $1 billion for the second calendar year in a row, Visit Alexandria announced Wednesday night at its annual meeting at The Westin Alexandria Old Town, where the city’s tourism marketing organization also marked its 30th anniversary.
The organization also reported that Alexandria collected a record of nearly $91 million in consumption taxes, which include sales, meals and lodging taxes, in fiscal year 2026. That fiscal year ran from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The $1 billion-plus spending figures cover calendar years 2024 and 2025.
The meeting’s theme was “Celebrating Our Past. Unlocking Our Future.” City leaders, the organization’s founders and members of the local hospitality community attended.
What drove the numbers
Visit Alexandria credited three factors with helping the city’s tourism economy recover during the fiscal year: its Unlock Your Story marketing campaign, America 250 celebrations, and the city’s successful bid to serve as the team base camp for Croatia’s national soccer team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Among the results the organization highlighted:
- Hotel revenue per available room, a key industry measure, reached a record $119. In January, that figure was down 9.9% for the fiscal year to date, but it finished the full year up 3%.
- From March through July, Alexandria ranked first or second every week in growth in revenue per available room among Virginia’s 25 hotel submarkets.
- During the Unlock Your Story campaign’s initial run, February through June, the average length of stay rose from 2.0 days to 2.3 days.
- The share of overnight visitors traveling more than 50 miles rose from 77.1% to 82.2%.
The organization also noted that Alexandria remains on Travel + Leisure’s list of the top 10 U.S. cities and rose to No. 3 on Condé Nast Traveler’s list of top U.S. small cities.
Todd O’Leary, president and CEO of Visit Alexandria, said a group of Alexandrians believed 30 years ago that the city’s story was worth sharing with the world. That idea has grown into a tourism economy that supports small businesses, employs thousands of people and helps fund city services, he said. O’Leary added that the organization isn’t resting on its history and that the past two years show its momentum is real.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins called the tourism economy a hometown success story. She said the tax revenue translates into investments in schools, sidewalks and city services for residents.
Kate Ellis, chair of Visit Alexandria’s Board of Governors, thanked the staff, hospitality partners and the city for their collaboration. “Tourism does not happen by accident,” she said.
What’s next
Claire Mouledoux, senior vice president of marketing and communications, and Mary Rinaldo, senior vice president of operations and finance, outlined the organization’s plans for fiscal year 2027:
- A new campaign debuting in 2027 to attract more meetings and group business to Alexandria
- Expanded storytelling and new neighborhood content for the Unlock Your Story campaign
- New programming to help Alexandria compete for travelers with accessibility needs, a market Visit Alexandria says is worth more than $50 billion and growing
- New co-op marketing opportunities
- An enhanced technology strategy, including an organizational AI strategy and governance framework
A new award for a founder
Visit Alexandria presented its first Tourism Champion Award to Charlotte Hall, one of the organization’s founding leaders. The Board of Governors chose Hall from 17 nominations, citing her longtime dedication to Alexandria’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The new award honors people who have made significant and lasting contributions to the visitor experience, Alexandria’s reputation as a destination and the local tourism economy.
Guests at the meeting also enjoyed small bites from local restaurants, including Bastille and Maison Breizh, Fabled Ice Cream, Ted’s Montana Grill, The Majestic, The Spice & Tea Exchange and The Wharf Fine Seafood.
Visit Alexandria’s fiscal year 2026 annual report and meeting slides are available on its website.
