February 19, 2026
Visit Alexandria Launches Unlock Your Story, A New Destination Marketing Campaign
CONTACT: Andrew Postal, apostal@visitalexva.com, 703-652-5363
Unlock Your Story invites travelers to explore the nationally ranked historic city and discover its independent spirit, cosmopolitan offerings and stories worth sharing
ALEXANDRIA, VA (February 19, 2026) – Visit Alexandria today announced the launch of Unlock Your Story, a new, fully integrated destination marketing campaign. The campaign is designed to expand upon the destination’s nationally renowned historic character to showcase the stories of a progressive and contemporary community offering meaningful experiences that can only be “unlocked” in Alexandria.
Unlock Your Story marks a strategic evolution for the destination following three successful years of the Best Kept Shh! campaign, which playfully positioned Alexandria as emerging from hidden gem status. During that time, the city’s national profile continued to rise, with a top five “Best Cities in the U.S.” ranking from Travel + Leisure and, for the first time ever, more than $1 billion in annual visitor spending. With momentum building, Visit Alexandria seized the opportunity to go in a new direction.
“The secret is out,” said Todd O’Leary, President & CEO of Visit Alexandria. “Now is the time to place Alexandria squarely in the spotlight and invite visitors to discover more of our destination and create their own stories here. With Unlock Your Story, we’re inviting travelers to connect with the people, places and experiences that make Alexandria distinctive and to leave with memories and personal connections that become part of their own story.”
A Strategic, Community-Centered Approach
Unlock Your Story is the result of months of research, strategic planning and creative development conducted collaboratively by Visit Alexandria and its agency of record, 62ABOVE. While Alexandria benefits from strong awareness of history and Old Town Alexandria among potential visitors, the team identified a primary challenge: limited perceptions lead to limited time in the destination.
To increase understanding of the breadth of Alexandria’s experiences, the Unlock Your Story campaign centers on storytelling as both a brand platform and a call to action. From centuries-old streets to contemporary culinary and cultural scenes, the campaign highlights the breadth of neighborhoods, small businesses, unique personalities and experiences that make Alexandria more than a day trip and more than visitors expect. The campaign celebrates the stories of the community, including local entrepreneurs, artists, chefs, boutique owners, historians and hospitality partners who create meaningful, personal experiences for visitors.
The campaign themes that frame positioning for all paid, earned and owned media strategies are: Historic, Not Static (historic but progressive and evolving); Made Up of the Little Things (a collection of curiosities as opposed to large attractions); and A City of Independents (creative and innovative entrepreneurs, artists and small businesses).
Engaging Visitors, Member Businesses and Meeting Planners
Visitors are invited to engage with the campaign in several ways. With “The Ultimate Alexandria Getaway, Unlocked” giveaway, travelers can enter for a chance to win an Alexandria vacation package valued at more than $1,000. Visitors are invited to share their Alexandria stories on social media using the hashtag #UnlockYourStoryALX and through the “Share Your Alexandria Story” form featured on the campaign landing page.
An extension of the campaign to meeting and event planners will roll out later this spring, showcasing Alexandria as a dynamic destination for successful small- to mid-size meetings and events. Visit Alexandria is also engaging its members and partners in the campaign by providing promotional resources and inviting them to share their own stories, which may be highlighted in Visit Alexandria’s content.
By integrating consumers, meeting planners and members under a single narrative platform, Unlock Your Story represents a new chapter in how Visit Alexandria markets the destination in a fully integrated fashion.
Campaign Components & Creative
Unlock Your Story will run through June 2026, aligning with key seasonal moments including cherry blossom season, America’s 250th commemoration and the FIFA World Cup 2026 (Alexandria is the official Team Base Camp for Croatia’s national football team).
Explore the campaign landing page and view the brand video at: UnlockYourStoryALX.com
ABOUT VISIT ALEXANDRIA AND ALEXANDRIA, VA
Visit Alexandria is the nonprofit destination marketing organization for the City of Alexandria, Virginia. Recognized by Travel + Leisure as a top five best U.S. city in 2025, Alexandria is a welcoming escape on the Potomac River, minutes from Washington, D.C. Founded in 1749 and boasting the nation’s third oldest historic district, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel. As Alexandria commemorates the nation’s 250th anniversary, visitors can follow in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers and the Black Americans who shaped the U.S. and the city’s history. Vibrant neighborhoods throughout the city include Old Town Alexandria, with a strollable King Street mile featuring more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques, plus intimate historic museums and new experiences at the waterfront.
Download high resolution images here to accompany the news.