Sunshine Matters

On the surface, this week’s release of Q2 (April-June) visitor numbers was good news for the Florida tourism industry because more Americans chose to spend their precious time and hard-earned money in the Sunshine State than they did over the same period last year.

However, the increase in year-over-year visitors masks a significant reversal in the trending growth of Florida’s market share of domestic visitors.  Florida’s share of domestic travel steadily increased from 2006-2009 and, for the last 18 months, the state has continually outpaced the rest of the U.S. in terms of total rooms sold. While the total rooms sold in the Sunshine State increased last quarter, Florida’s share of domestic travelers actually declined. Continue reading »

Today marks 126 days since the April 20^th Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.  It has been a challenging time for all of us as we battled misperceptions of how Florida was affected by the oil spill.  Certainly, it was – and continues to be – critical that we provide open, transparent information to visitors so they can make the most informed travel planning decisions possible.

In an effort to help the Florida tourism industry stay connected and informed through the ever-changing oil spill situation, VISIT FLORIDA began hosting bi-weekly conference calls and webinars on June 10 to provide an opportunity for participants to network with one another and learn about the latest statewide marketing response efforts.  Hundreds of tourism partners representing all parts of the state have availed themselves of the webinars conducted to date.  Continue reading »

Preliminary estimates* of visitors to Florida for the second quarter of 2010 (April – June) show an estimated 20.8 million travelers visited the Sunshine State.  This represents an increase of 3.4 percent from the same period in 2009.

While Florida as a whole showed an increase in visitors for the second quarter, we know that tourism businesses in oil-impacted parts of the state have suffered economically.  There can be little doubt that without Governor Crist’s intense focus and our aggressive tourism marketing efforts during May and June the Sunshine State could easily have been looking at a very different outcome.  Continue reading »

Can you believe Governor’s Conference is only a little more than a month away?  This year’s event will be held September 26-28 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.

As many of you know, for more than four decades, this event has been recognized as the premier educational conference for the Florida tourism industry, providing the opportunity for participants to learn the latest in marketing strategy, receive critical research data and share best practices.  Given the year the industry has had, I think it’s safe to say they’ll be no shortage of lessons learned and great ideas to build off of when we gather together next month.  Continue reading »

Media Coverage Overview – for the week of August 2 – 6, 2010

Significant media headlines this week focused on the apparent progress in the Gulf to cap the Deepwater Horizon oil well. Today, CNN.com reports the U.S government is optimistic that the oil well will be permanently sealed.

Amid all the headlines, Florida’s tourism industry continues to be involved in the conversation. Several media outlets discuss Governor Crist’s meeting with tourism officials regarding requests for additional BP funds to assist in tourism advertising and marketing efforts. The underlying message from the tourism industry is clear: the urgent and strong need to counter misconceptions to Florida brands is crucial in the recovery phase.  Continue reading »