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Visit Virginia Beach reports strong FY26 marketing reach, $13 million advertising fund and targeted surge campaign
Summary
The city’s CVB told council its FY26 advertising program (about $13 million) and the 'Happiness is' campaign delivered hundreds of millions of impressions, the new destination website recorded over 8.4 million page views, and a surge campaign was deployed after April oceanfront incidents to shore up visitor confidence.
Nancy Helman, director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Anna Stone, vice president of marketing and brand strategy, updated the Virginia Beach City Council on Visit Virginia Beach’s FY26 marketing and public‑relations efforts on June 22.
"Good afternoon, mayor, vice mayor, members of council," Helman began, and Stone described the CVB’s funneled approach from awareness to booking and the central 'Happiness is' brand platform. Stone said the FY26 tourism advertising program fund is "approximately $13 million." She reported the third iteration of the 'Happiness is' campaign launched in spring 2026 and will run through February 2027.
Staff provided summary metrics: the campaign has driven more than 341 million impressions across digital platforms and 65 million impressions across paid Meta placements, with more than 500,000 clicks on meetings, conventions and sports tourism placements. Helman and Stone also highlighted earned media results — including placements in the New York Times and USA Today — and an advertising equivalency of about $27 million from PR activity.
The CVB said its new website (launched July 2025) has more than 8.4 million page views and an accessibility/compliance score cited at industry standard levels. The office described a new content‑creator program that produced roughly 47 published pieces and 470,000 impressions year‑to‑date and a Philadelphia activation called "The Drop" that produced about 150,000 impressions; the shipping container used in that event was reported to be on display at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.
Officials also reviewed a "surge" marketing campaign activated in response to oceanfront incidents in April to stabilize visitor confidence for peak season and said final results will be reported after summer tracking is complete. Using STAR and Amadeus data as of June 15, the CVB reported occupancy pacing roughly 7.6% ahead of last year and generally positive year‑over‑year hotel metrics.
Council members praised production and event logistics and asked no substantive policy questions during the presentation. CVB staff said they will return with final metrics on the surge campaign and continue to report performance metrics to council.
