Sunshine Matters

VISITFLORIDA.com, already the most trafficked destination marketing organization website in the country, experienced a record year in 2011.  The site had nearly 6.3 million visits, a 13 percent increase over the previous year, generating more than 18.5 million page views.  Last year, VISITFLORIDA.com also experienced a 13 percent increase in international traffic, with 990,000 visits to the site.

And 2012 is getting off to an incredible start as well, with January and February becoming the highest trafficked months in the history of VISITFLORIDA.com.  In February alone, the site had more than 800,000 visits and nearly 2 million page views – an increase of 44 percent more visits than February 2011 and a 9 percent increase in page views. Continue reading »

Today marked the conclusion of the 2012 legislative session, officially referred to as “sine die.”  With the end of session, came the passage of the 2012-2013 state budget.  I would like to share with you a statement we released to the media this evening reflecting VISIT FLORIDA’s funding appropriation for the coming year:

“The VISIT FLORIDA board and staff, on behalf of the statewide tourism industry, thank Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature for their confidence in our state’s No. 1 industry, and for their recognition that an investment of $54 million in cooperative marketing through VISIT FLORIDA is the quickest way back to jobs and economic development in Florida. Continue reading »

Some changes are ahead in Fiscal Year 2012-13 for VISIT FLORIDA’s Insiders, our roster of experts who engage tourists with consumer-oriented news in videos, on their blogs and in social media.

Here are the two big headlines:

First, we will add a 10th Insider.  We’ll pull Dining away from Entertainment & Luxury to create Food & Dining.  Think restaurants, of course, and food trucks and ribs festivals and hot dog stands.

Second, VISIT FLORIDA (and specifically me as Senior Editor) will assume management of the Insiders.  My team and I will edit their blog posts and stories, monitor their social media campaigns and collaborate on video themes. Continue reading »

I am proud to announce VISIT FLORIDA’s new Airline Grant Program, which will support Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) within the state and stimulate the Florida economy by expanding international air service to the Sunshine State. VISIT FLORIDA will budget up to $250,000 per year through 2016 to support the program.

“The Airline Grant program is an innovative initiative that will ensure Florida remains at the forefront of international air service expansion opportunities,” said Chris Thompson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “As we continue to position ourselves as the No. 1 travel destination in the world, this is a great way for the state to attract new overseas travelers by creating inbound flights to Florida.” Continue reading »