Historic Triangle Hotels See July Bump Amid Nationwide Travel Slowdown

Better weekend travel bolsters flat weekdays as local hotels grow room revenue overall

Aug 10, 2025

Hotels in the Historic Triangle saw stronger weekend stays in July, outpacing national and state figures, though the region’s weekday travel still lags. Shown here, the Williamsburg Inn is one of Colonial Williamsburg’s premier hotels. (George Arbogust, Williamsburg Independent)

Data recently shared by Visit Williamsburg, a cooperative effort between several local governments and tourism representatives, indicates that local hotels’ revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose over a 28-day period in July and early August. Gains in the Historic Triangle came from rising weekend rates, while weekday rates remained flat. The regions’s performance in the key performance metric outpaced both national and State results, as some comparable markets stayed flat or even saw declines.

President and CEO of Visit Williamsburg, Edward Harris, recently wrote in an email to the Williamsburg Independent that the “Historic Triangle continues to show its resilience as a tourism destination as other competing destinations have seen declines in recent months amid a period of lower consumer confidence and uncertainty.”

Trends highlighted the area’s appeal as a short-stay and leisure destination, as weekday travel continues to trail weekend results. Harris noted that visitors to the region come for nostalgia and interest, but also other major attractions such as Busch Gardens and Water Country. “Going forward we will need to continue to surround our timeless historical attractions with new experiential things to do,” he added. Harris and other tourism officials are optimistic that there’s still room to grow weekday and business travel, such as when the Greater Williamsburg Sports and Event Center opens next year.

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Softening travel demand nationwide

Harris referenced recent industry reporting that describes some of the issues facing the travel and tourism industry:

A March 2025 report in Fortune noted that vacation planning levels were at a 15-year low (excluding pandemic years), based on a survey by the Conference Board.
A July 2025 report in the Washington Post cited survey results showing Americans expect to spend 25% less on summer vacations in 2025 than in 2024.

Comparison of 28-day RevPAR rolling average

The analysis of recent data by tourism officials focused on a key hotel performance indicator called Revenue per available room (RevPAR). The website Investopedia explains that “[a]n increase in a property's RevPAR means that its average room rate or its occupancy rate is improving.”

Even as travel slows in other parts of the country, the Historic Triangle has demonstrated resilience, especially on weekends. For example, weekend RevPAR increased by 6.3% in the region, though weekday performance experienced a slight decrease of -0.6%. When combined, the Historic Triangle still recorded a 2.2% overall increase in Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR).

This compares to an overall nationwide decline of -1.9%, over the same 28-day period, largely driven by a -2.7% decrease in weekday travel. During the same time, Virginia recorded a +1.1% total growth, supported by stable weekday performance (+0.1%) and growing weekend demand (+3.0%). On the other end of the spectrum, Washington, D.C. saw steep declines across both weekdays and weekends.

RevPAR snapshot comparison

The regions’ tendancy towards higher rates on weekends than weekdays is exhibited in the daily RevPAR data for Sunday to Saturday, July 27 - August 2, when the region’s rates jumped from $90.96 on Thursday, to $147.57 on Friday, and $160.16 on Saturday, weekend results that outpaced both national and State performance.

Historic Triangle sees room to grow

Recent national recognition and ongoing seasonal programming efforts have helped bolster Williamsburg’s visibility as a travel destination amid broader softness in the tourism industry, according to Harris. Still, the regions’ affordability, accessibility and range of attractions may not be fully recognized.

An “underrated destination”

Harris noted a 2024 analysis by Wander, reported by Travel + Leisure, Williamsburg ranked as the most underrated travel destination in the United States. With a score of 9.29 out of 10, Williamsburg stood out for its concentration of historical and cultural attractions, compact layout, and ease of access. The report described Williamsburg as a destination where visitors can “quickly dive into the city’s roots and discover something new around every corner.”

Promoting region’s affordability

An ongoing example of Visit Williamsburg’s efforts to spread the word about the region’s affordability is their work with social media influencers and other content creators. The organization recently posted an in-depth, first-person account by travel writer Yatzuri Thomas which emphasized Williamsburg’s appeal to families looking for meaningful and affordable travel experiences.

She outlined a range of low-cost and no-cost activities, including taking a ride on the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, visiting the beaches in Jamestown and Yorktown, taking a nature walk in Freedom Park, or just visiting local shops and events. Thomas points out that families don’t have to view traveling as an unaffordable luxury and can find ways to experience new places on any budget.

Visit Williamsburg also continues to promote the Cool Summer Savings Pass, which provides mobile access to discounts at local attractions and businesses, as well as access to historical sites, nature trails, and live entertainment. Two major upcoming events are also expected to draw additional visitors:

Busch Gardens® Howl-O-Scream® returns September 5 through November 2 (select dates), with five haunted houses, six themed scare zones, and evening roller coaster rides.
The National Pancake Festival, launching September 26–27, features destination-wide specials via a digital “Pancake Trail” running throughout September.

Edit: The title of Edward Harris was corrected, as he is the President and CEO of Visit Williamsburg, not the Executive Director.