CELEBRATING NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK

MAY 4 - MAY 10, 2025

National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) is a widely celebrated annual tradition for both the U.S. travel community and here locally in Virginia Beach. It’s a time when travel, tourism, and hospitality professionals come together to celebrate the importance our industry holds for our economy, businesses, and even personal well-being. 

For more than 40 years, NTTW has been dedicated to highlighting the power of travel by recognizing the millions of people nationwide who help keep the hospitality industry going strong, on the frontlines, and behind the scenes.

This is a special time for us to unite in celebrating our industry and honoring the hard work and commitment of our Virginia Beach hospitality and tourism workforce - our hospitality heroes.  

In Virginia Beach, our 2025 luncheon and awards ceremony was held on Friday, May 9, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

The Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau held its annual awards program and luncheon May 9, 2025, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Created to recognize those within our hospitality community who excel in their work in making Virginia Beach a first-class travel destination, we salute and congratulate the recipients of our 2025 National Travel & Tourism Awards.

• Betty Lachman Tucker, Ocean Eddie’s Seafood Restaurant
• Jeremiah “Bo” Wilkinson, Neptune Festival
• Joselyn Phelps, Gold Key PHR - The Cavalier Resort
• Barry Cross, Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront – Catch 31
• Sofia Otero, Gold Key PHR – The Cavalier Resort
• Trinity Slutman, The Founders Inn and Spa
• Jonabel Meneses, Holiday Inn Oceanside – Hemingway’s
• Dylan Dropski, Country Inn & Suites
• James McFadden, DoubleTree by Hilton Virginia Beach
• Doug Strejeck, Gold Key PHR – The Cavalier Resort
• Barbra Carter, VSA – Ocean Key Resort
• Liset “Yoya” Toro, The Harrison Group – Holiday Inn North Beach
• Alison Byrne, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Arts
• Donovan Hildreth, Jungle Golf

A huge shout out to the staff at Sodexo Live! for yet another outstanding event and special thanks to our sponsors Onyx Audio Visual, Sinclair Communications and Smart City Networks.