Sunshine Matters

In order to provide personal travel planning assistance to our Sunshine State drive visitors, VISIT FLORIDA operates five Official Florida Welcome Centers located at strategic entry points along Interstate 10. During the first five months of 2012, visitation to the Welcome Centers has grown by 10.5 percent over the same period in 2011.  This represents an increase of more than 90,000 visitors, bringing our five-month total visitation number to nearly 1 million. In speaking with our Welcome Center visitors, we attribute the increase in traffic to good weather, value pricing and lower gas prices.  We are also certain that the expert customer service provided by our outstanding staff is a contributor to the uptick. Continue reading »

This week, the four Official Florida Welcome Centers located at I-10, I-75, I-95 and US-231 are not only sharing Florida vacation planning information with the nearly 40,000 visitors who will stop in, but are also raising awareness for roadway safety issues.  Known across the country as “Go Orange” Week, VISIT FLORIDA’s Welcome Center staff have partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Public Safety Institute, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and other state and local organizations for this annual campaign to remind motorists about the importance of safe driving on Florida’s roadways. Continue reading »

VISIT FLORIDA manages the state’s five Official Florida Welcome Centers located at I-10, I-95, I-75, US 231 and the Florida Capitol. As an invaluable resource for visitors to the Sunshine State, the knowledgeable and helpful staff in the Welcome Centers provide a wealth of information to millions of Florida visitors each year.  In addition to offering detailed travel planning advice, the centers also provide maps, brochures and even a free cup of Florida citrus juice!

As a fun way to engage Welcome Center visitors, and showcase all there is to see and do in the Sunshine State, each of the four highway Welcome Centers set up special displays that allow travelers to learn more about what’s happening in Florida at certain times of the year.

Every March, Florida plays host to 15 Major League Baseball teams who hold their annual spring training in venues throughout the Sunshine State.  As a way to showcase spring training in Florida to the nearly 235,000 visitors who passed through the highway Welcome Centers in March, employees donned Florida Grapefruit League jerseys and shared information about the upcoming game schedules and locations. They also created interactive displays so visitors could take pictures with “players” from their favorite teams. Continue reading »

VISIT FLORIDA manages the state’s five Official Florida Welcome Centers located at I-10, I-95, I-75, US 231 and the Florida Capitol.   As an invaluable resource for visitors to the Sunshine State, the knowledgeable and helpful staff in Florida’s Official Welcome Centers provide a wealth of information to millions of Florida visitors each year.  In addition to offering detailed travel planning advice, the centers also provide maps, brochures and even a free glass of Florida citrus juice!

As a fun way to engage welcome center visitors, and showcase all there is to see and do in the Sunshine State, each of the four highway welcome centers host annual festivals throughout the year.  The festivals are designed to give tourism industry participants the opportunity to promote and showcase their destination to thousands of Florida’s visitors firsthand. Continue reading »

Sunshine State visitors have bought untold numbers of souvenirs throughout the years, reflecting the history and culture that is Florida tourism.  Those souvenirs reflect remembrances of great experiences of yesterday and today at our theme parks and roadside attractions.

Tuesday night, VISIT FLORIDA hosted a sneak preview of the new “Remembering Paradise: Souvenirs of Historic Florida Attractions” exhibit at the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahassee.  The evening reception allowed legislators, Capitol staff and industry executives to be the first to see the extensive one-of-a-kind collection of travel treasures assembled for the 8-month long exhibit.  The items on display range from a rubber alligator from the historic St. Augustine Alligator Farm, to a cowboy tin cup from the old Six-Gun Territory in Ocala, as well as a host of rare memorabilia from Walt Disney World in Orlando and much, much more. Continue reading »