Sunshine Matters

I’m pleased to share that preliminary estimates* of visitors to Florida for the second quarter of 2011 (April-June) show an estimated 21.2 million travelers visited the Sunshine State.  This represents an increase of 6.9 percent from the same period in 2010.  In addition, 5.6 million pleasure trips were taken by Florida residents in-state during the second quarter. Continue reading »

Three new vacation experts join VISITFLORIDA.com’s Insiders team for 2011-2012. And their online home has received an elegant makeover.

Accomplished bloggers Jeanette Thwing (Shopping) and Rachelle Lucas (Dining, Entertainment and Luxury) and popular guidebook author Gary McKechnie (Off the Beaten Path) bolster an already strong lineup of reporters.

Each of the nine Insiders covers a Florida-specific topic, using all the quick-response tools of the 21st-century journalist. They post daily reports in their blogs, answer users’ questions and write feature stories. They take photographs and shoot informal videos. They appear on camera in highly produced travel pieces. They maintain an active social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. Continue reading »

Next month, VISIT FLORIDA will host the 44th Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism on September 25-27 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood.  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. Continue reading »

This week, we released a new print publication – the VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Partner Guide – that simplifies the keys to marketing success through our diverse program offerings. VISIT FLORIDA partnership is an investment and this new guide helps investing businesses understand their marketing partnership and maximize its return on investment in an easy-to-read, highly visual and full-color format.

Each year, VISIT FLORIDA’s independently conducted Partner Satisfaction Survey reveals that the more Florida tourism industry businesses know about VISIT FLORIDA and the more they engage with us, the more likely they are to view our organization in a favorable light. In addition, we’ve found that our Partners who become more active in our marketing programs are more likely to continue investing in VISIT FLORIDA. The new guide is designed to increase our Partner’s knowledge and engagement in our valuable marketing programs. Continue reading »