Sunshine Matters

VISIT FLORIDA recently coordinated a roadshow to Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne and Leipzig, Germany that allowed Partners to educate German travel agents about destinations in Florida.  To gather as many travel agents as possible, VISIT FLORIDA teamed up with two of the top tour operators in Germany selling Florida, DERTOUR and Thomas Cook.  The travel agents at four locations were provided with presentations, receptions and educational round tables.

Our International team was also able to offer in-house training at FTI Touristik in Munich and Fairflight Touristik GmbH in Leipzig as an added value to the Partners.  Throughout this five day roadshow, nearly 400 German travel agents were successfully trained on the Florida product.

Germany was ranked 7th for international visitation to Florida and 10th for international spending in 2013.  Leading tour operators indicate that the top Florida cities that Germans are most interested in are Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Keys and St. Petersburg/Clearwater, with  Palm Beach, Sarasota and Daytona Beach as up and coming Florida cities that are gaining more interest.

Special thanks to those Partners who traveled with us to share news on Florida destinations:  the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, Florida Keys & Key West, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Visit Tampa Bay, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Universal Orlando Resort, Visit Orlando and Naples, Marco Island & the Everglades CVB.  Also, thanks to our Partners who participated in the brochure distribution program: the Bradenton Area CVB, Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB,  Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, The Outrigger Beach Resort and The Walt Disney Company.

For more information on future travel trade events, please check out the VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Planner or contact me at cjones@VISITFLORIDA.org.