Alexandria has been named a Top 5 Best Small City in the U.S., according to the 2022 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the fifth year that Alexandria has made the list.
This year, Alexandria landed the #4 spot behind Charleston (#1), Aspen (#2) and Santa Fe (#3), while rising above other well-known destinations including Savannah (#5), Greenville (#6) and Key West (#7).
The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and are commonly known as “the best of the best of travel.” More than 240,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences across the globe
Consistent high-profile rankings in Condé Nast Traveler and other national publications have helped boost Alexandria’s visibility among tourists, which has helped the city’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Monday evening, Visit Alexandria announced that consumption tax revenue (from retail, restaurants and hotels) hit a new record and is helping Alexandria’s economy.
The past few years have been “an extraordinary period of time for all of us,” said Mayor Justin Wilson at Monday evening’s meeting. While the pandemic was economically painful for thousands of the city’s businesses, many found a path forward and are defining a “new normal.”
Consumption taxes for the fiscal year ending in July 2022 were $76 million, surpassing the best-ever pre-pandemic year. Lodging has not fully recovered from pre-pandemic levels, but retail and restaurants had a strong holiday season in 2021 and a strong spring.
“With an estimated 71% of these revenues coming from non-residents, based on analysis of credit card data, visitors saved the average Alexandria household over $750 per year in taxes,” Visit Alexandria reported.
Using American Rescue Plan funding, Visit Alexandria significantly increased its marketing in order to capitalize on pent-up travel demand.
The organization is starting a new marketing campaign to focus on areas outside of Old Town, including Del Ray, the West End and Arlandria.
The campaign is called “Expand Your ALX.” A new website is up and running at www.expandyouralx.com.
