Sunshine Matters

The Senate Committee on Gaming is hosting a series of workshops throughout the state between October 23 and November 15 to hear public input, and have invited members of the Florida tourism industry to participate. The Committee is especially interested in public reactions to the two-part “Florida Gambling Impact Study,” commissioned by the Florida Legislature earlier this year.  To learn more, here is some information on the topic the Committee has provided. Continue reading »

I am pleased to announce that the 2012-2013 VISIT FLORIDA Annual Report is now available online.   This marks the fourth year we have produced the report in an interactive online format, with the opportunity to download a printable PDF version.  The previous three year’s reports are also available.  We hope making the annual reports available online, with links to more details through archived blog posts and other web content, will allow viewers to move more easily through the wealth of information on VISIT FLORIDA’s efforts to market the Sunshine State and serve as a thought leader for the tourism industry this past fiscal year. Continue reading »

I am proud to share that today VISIT FLORIDA announced the launch of a major fall brand campaign focused on targeting young and mature child-free travelers.  The announcement was made during a presentation at our 46th Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism.  While fall has historically been slightly softer in terms of visitation, individual visitor spending for that period is the highest – with an average of $133 per person per day.  Research indicates that if just 20 percent of the state’s visitors were to stay one more day, Florida’s economy would benefit from a nearly $2 billion spending increase. Continue reading »

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that according to preliminary estimates* released by VISIT FLORIDA – the state’s official tourism marketing corporation – 23.4 million visitors came to Florida in the second quarter of 2013 (April-June), an increase of 2.6 percent over the same period in 2012.  This makes Q2 2013 the largest second quarter for visitation in the state’s history. Continue reading »

The Sunshine State’s tourism industry was proud to play host to the 99th Annual Destination Marketing Association International Convention held in Orlando last week.  With a contingent of 75 Florida attendees, numerous members of the Florida delegation received accolades during the convention for their continued excellence and engagement with DMAI, including: Continue reading »