October 27, 2026
Visit Alexandria Announces Barry Draper as Vice President of Membership and Visitor Experience
CONTACTS:
Andrew Postal, apostal@visitalexva.com, 703-652-5363
Karishma Singh, KSingh@visitalexva.com, 703-652-5373
Alexandria, VA (October 27, 2026) – Today, Visit Alexandria, the official destination marketing and management organization for Alexandria, Virginia, announced that Barry Draper has joined the organization’s leadership team as Vice President of Membership and Visitor Experience. In this role, he will lead membership acquisition and engagement efforts as well as visitor experience programs, all meant to better connect local small businesses to Alexandria’s lucrative tourism economy, that now exceeds $1B annually.
“With two decades of experience in destination marketing and hospitality, Barry is the ideal leader to guide our membership and visitor experience team as we continue to enhance member engagement through top-notch programming, high levels of customer service, and an elevated visitor experience,” said Todd O’Leary, President & CEO of Visit Alexandria. “He has a proven ability to build meaningful relationships that drive results for businesses and create memorable experiences for visitors.”
“I’m honored to join Visit Alexandria, an organization that leads the city’s tourism and hospitality industry,” said Draper. “I look forward to building meaningful partnerships with our members, partners and stakeholders, delivering an exceptional experience for every visitor, and helping create opportunities and connections that benefit our entire community.”
Barry brings nearly two decades of experience in destination marketing, hospitality management and stakeholder engagement. Recently, he served as Director of Partnership Services at Explore St. Louis, where he managed more than 950 partner organizations, led record-setting programming and revenue growth, launched the Civic Pride Explorer Series and helped guide industry workforce protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barry also serving as Executive Director of the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation. Earlier in his career, he led partnership and engagement efforts for the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau and worked in hotel sales within the Central Illinois and Chicagoland markets.
Click here to download a high-resolution image of Draper.
ABOUT VISIT ALEXANDRIA AND ALEXANDRIA, VA
Visit Alexandria is the nonprofit destination marketing and management organization for the City of Alexandria, Virginia. Voted a Travel + Leisure Top 10 Best City in the U.S. 2026 and a Condé Nast Traveler Top 2 Best Small City in the U.S. 2026, Alexandria is a welcoming escape on the Potomac River, just minutes from Washington, D.C. Founded in 1749 and boasting the nation’s third oldest historic district, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel. Visitors can immerse themselves in Alexandria’s history, from the Founding Fathers to Black Americans who shaped the U.S. Stroll Old Town’s King Street, lined with 200+ local restaurants and shops and enjoy intimate historic museums and new waterfront experiences.
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