Membership Benefits and FAQs

Your annual membership with Visit Alexandria provides you with a range of benefits:

Website—Your business listing on VisitAlexandria.com already connects you with nearly 3 million web visits per year. Visit Alexandria’s recently redesigned website is visually engaging and adaptive to all screen sizes, so your business is seen easily both by those planning a trip and those who are already in town.

Advertising—Thanks to strong support from the City of Alexandria, we place about $1.54 million annually on digital, video, social, print and meetings advertising, that builds consumer awareness. Alexandria’s branding campaign lays a rock-solid foundation of awareness and attraction for all Alexandria businesses.

Official Alexandria Visitor Guide—Your membership includes a free listing. With a circulation of 250,000, the guide is distributed at more than 95 locations, not only in Alexandria, but also in Arlington, National Harbor, Washington, D.C., Virginia interstate rest areas and the I-95 corridor—all critical distribution sites.

Visitor Information Center—Our concierge staff provide extraordinary guidance to about 5,000 visitors per month. Think of them as an extension of your sales team speaking to the most qualified leads—visitors who have already chosen Alexandria and who are looking for ideas of what to do and where to dine and shop. Your membership includes a free brochure rack slot in the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center has also greatly expanded its ticketing, so members have the opportunity to sell tickets to these tens of thousands of visitors who are looking for things to do.

Communications—Our communications team promotes the visitor experience in Alexandria across multiple platforms. We placed more than 1,000 stories for each of the last five years in local, national and international media. Their work has earned Alexandria “Best City” accolades in major publications like Travel + Leisureand Condé Nast Traveler. We have more than 184,000 social media followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Our “The Best Of” blog series provides an insider perspective on Alexandria, giving visitors and locals a reason to come back and discover the city’s latest must-do’s. Visit Alexandria regularly looks to members for content that exemplifies the Alexandria experience for inclusion in these promotional efforts.

Direct Sales Representation—With emphasis on executive, health care, government, tour operator, wedding and association planners, the Visit Alexandria sales team is representing you nationally and regionally to drive lucrative group and meetings business.

Seasonal and City-wide Promotions—Promotions and events create a festive atmosphere and urgency to visit. Visit Alexandria creates a series of promotions and events year-round, including Restaurant Weeks, the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival Sponsored by Ting, Summer Sidewalk Sale, holiday promotions, Boat Parade of Lights Sponsored by Amazon, the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, citywide hotel promotions, and opportunities to submit season-specific content. Designed to build consumer spending, length of stay, brand awareness and visitation, these promotions are typically free for members to participate.

Marketing Research—In today’s competitive marketplace, you need good information to make smarter and more cost-effective marketing decisions. But obtaining and sifting through all of that data is time consuming and costly. That’s where Visit Alexandria comes in. Our research team collects the most relevant primary and secondary market information and shares it during our marketing forums each year, plus in the monthly member newsletter. We save you time and money to ensure you are on top of the latest trends and to help you make cost effective decisions.

Advertising Outlets—Above and beyond your basic web and Visitor Guide listings, there are members-only opportunities that help your business stand out from the crowd. Visit Alexandria members have exclusive access to advertising opportunities on VisitAlexandria.com, in the Official Visitor Guide, and on the Visitor Center video display. Our membership team can meet with you to discuss the options that would work best for your budget and business.

Networking Opportunities & Member Events—Visit Alexandria also offers three membership meetings in a year in the winter, summer and fall, which provide the latest information on trends and research, and allow you to network with your peers. We also offer smaller 20-30 person focus group meetings with the President, that connect you to our CEO in a more personal way to offer direct input on your needs and the organization’s direction.

For more information, contact Melanie Fallon, Vice President of Member & Visitor Services: 703-838-4725.

WHO CAN BECOME A MEMBER OF VISIT ALEXANDRIA?

Membership is open to any business, organization, or individual with an interest in the hospitality and tourism industry in Alexandria. As of May 2012, only businesses located within the City of Alexandria are eligible for membership (regional attractions excepted).

WHEN DO I PAY DUES?

The membership year begins on July 1 and goes through June 30 the following year. There is an annual dues fee collected in July, with options for new members to join throughout the year. Hotels operate under a different structure of $19.45 per hotel room (Minimum 100 rooms; Maximum 250 rooms).

HOW CAN I BE INCLUDED IN THE OFFICIAL VISITOR GUIDE? WHAT IS THE DEADLINE?

The popular Official Alexandria Visitor Guide is published every year in March. In order for your business listing to be included, you must become a member of Visit Alexandria by October 1 of the current year. Every member is entitled to a free line listing in the Visitor Guide, which includes the business name, address, phone number, website, and a 25-word description. Members have the option to purchase an ad in the Visitor Guide for an additional fee.

HOW CAN I GET MY MATERIALS IN THE VISITOR CENTER?

As a member of Visit Alexandria, you are entitled to dedicated rack space in our Visitor Center. This is a great opportunity to promote your business to guests who are already in Alexandria and looking for ideas on what to do and where to dine, shop and stay. Distributing your brochure in the Visitor Center also enables our welcoming staff to become more familiar with your business and provide guests with tangible takeaway information about you. There is no additional cost for rack space—it is included as part of your annual membership dues. For more information about promoting your business at the Visitors Center, contact Melanie Fallon, Vice President of Member & Visitor Services, at [email protected] or 703-838-4725.

ARE THERE ADDITIONAL FEES TO ATTEND VISIT ALEXANDRIA’S EVENTS?

Yes, there is a small fee to attend our “What’s New”, Summer Social and Annual Meeting events. Each year, Visit Alexandria hosts four annual member-focused events, allowing you the opportunity to network with one another and providing an outlet for you to share feedback with us.

At our “What’s New” in January, our team will present information on new events and major openings specific to the City of Alexandria, plus valuable marketing and tourism research and members-only marketing opportunities. Our Summer Social in mid-summer is Visit Alexandria’s opportunity to celebrate our members and thank you for your support and partnership all year long. At our Annual Meeting in the fall, our team will share the latest visitation statistics, reflect on the past year, and look ahead to plans for the upcoming one. The last of the four major events is our Breakfast with the President. Visit Alexandria offers separate events for each of our member business categories (restaurants, hotels, retail, attractions, etc.), with an agenda and topics tailored specifically to each group.

AS A MEMBER, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET INVOLVED IN VISIT ALEXANDRIA?

The best way to maximize the benefits of your membership is to work as closely with us as your schedule and resources allow. Contact our membership team with any questions:

Melanie Fallon, Vice President of Member & Visitor Services, [email protected]
Trisha Meisner, Director of Member Relations, [email protected]

In addition:

• Make sure Visit Alexandria has your current email address, and check regularly for our updates. If you are not receiving these emails, you are missing out on opportunities and news. Be sure to add “@visitalexva.com” to your email’s safe senders list so you do not miss any communications from our team!
• Attend the marketing meetings. These are a great opportunity to meet your fellow members as well as Visit Alexandria staff members. They are also an opportunity to give direct feedback on topics affecting tourism.

WHAT IS AN ALEXANDRIA HOTEL MEMBER?

Only hotels within the limits of the City of Alexandria are eligible for membership. The hotel membership fee covers promotion space in the Alexandria Visitor Center, listings on VisitAlexandria.com and inclusion in the Expedia booking engine on that site, as well as a listing in the Official Alexandria Visitor Guide. Hotels also have the opportunity to work with our top-notch sales team, which attends trade shows, organizes client events and regularly distributes qualified leads.