VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — On the heels of a successful Shamrock Marathon Weekend, optimism for the Virginia Beach tourism industry is picking up steam.
"We’re hoping we'll be back to where we were prior to the pandemic," said Jim Pohlemus, floor manager of Il Giardino's Ristorante at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Polhemus said he's hopeful about what the upcoming spring and summer could mean for business.
“I think more and more people are definitely feeling more comfortable coming out, and getting back into the swing of things," he said. "Hopefully that’s indicative of what the summer is going to look like.”
During a City Council meeting this week, President of the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau Nancy Helman cited studies showing the impact of travel due to COVID-19 is the lowest it’s ever been.
"Through these models, we see a path to normalcy in the leisure market," she said. "However, workforce continues to be a significant hurdle for our hospitality industry.
The Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau unveiled plans for a new campaign, featuring an open invitation to guests.
"We now think of visitors as invited guests," said Helman.
The ads will soon roll out in markets along the East Coast and in the Midwest. Similar advertising will be used for the fall and winter months, as the agency's focus shifts more to a year-round campaign.
More than 25,000 runners participated in the Shamrock Marathon Weekend last week, which could be seen as a sign that crowds and tourism numbers could return back to pre-pandemic levels.
There are still challenges, though. A big one? Staffing.
“We’re still not open 100 percent just because we don’t have the staffing to support that," Polhemus said.
From servers to kitchen staff, Polhemus said they’re having trouble finding workers, though the number of applications is up from last year.
He’s hoping that changes in time for the summer rush.