You might think, from all the talk, that Texas has a lock on big when it comes to southern states. The truth is, though, that Big starts right where the southern states do, geographically, and no city illustrates this quite as clearly as Virginia Beach. The city is home to various Big names in several different areas, all of which have resulted in significant contributions to a big local economy. Let's take a look at some of Virginia Beach's largest features.
In Tourism
You can't talk about Virginia Beach without talking about tourism. The city's tourist industry contributes most of the wealth it currently enjoys, with over $73 million dollars generated by visitors each year. People are attracted to the city because of the miles of beaches that stretch along its coastlines. It's the perfect place to see if those aquarium fish foods attract the species you will find while snorkeling in the ocean!
One of those beaches, south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest pleasure beach anywhere in the world. The tunnel itself is another Big feature in Virginia Beach, the longest of its type in the world. It is used for everything from pleasure use to commercial transport, and each year a significant portion of the state's hydrovac truck fleet is used for its upkeep.
Virginia Beach is also home to two of the biggest competitions of their kind in the world: the East Coast Surfing Championships and the North American Sand Soccer Championship. Every year, professional and amateur surfers from all over the world attend the ECSC. They break the tamper evident band on their surfboards (in order to ensure only they have accessed their gear) and perform in front of crowds that surpass 100,000 every day of the event.
In the Military
The second most important sector of the Virginia Beach economy is the military. The city is home to two major Naval bases, both considered to be the largest of their kinds in the world.
Naval Air Station Oceana is the largest employer in Virginia Beach. It is a massive military airport, with both civilian and Naval personnel working around the clock. Jobs range from maintenance crews who ensure proper application of heat resistant tape to the machinery rooms of the base to highly trained engineers and pilots.
Fleet Combat Training Center Dam Neck currently operates as a training facility for the United States Navy under the Training Revolution. The base includes not only training facilities, but housing for trainees, officers, and their families. Houses include the latest touches in bathroom furniture, vanities and amenities included.
When you think Virginia Beach, think big. The city is home to several world record holding behemoths, as well as some of the biggest athletic events of their kind in the world. Big events and big facilities mean big money, which makes the city one of the most attractive places to live in the entire United States.
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