Sunshine Matters

Three cities, six journalists and 12 days – how much can be seen and done?  On a VISIT FLORIDA familiarization tour, the answer turned out to be “a lot.”  Chinese media from Beijing and Shanghai were introduced to the Sunshine State by VISIT FLORIDA Industry Partners Visit Orlando, the Beaches of Ft. Myers & Sanibel and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Central Florida:

The trip began in Winter Park, with the stop turning out to be a surprise for many of the participants who often think of Central Florida as home to theme parks and shopping malls.  Travel + Leisure feature director Lawrence Zhang found it “a hidden gem that needs to be explored.”  The quaint Orlando suburb is home to the Morse Museum, which boasts the world’s largest collection of Tiffany glass and glass-making wares, including the chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Walt Disney World invited the journalists to explore the Grand Floridian Hotel and offered them a first-hand look at the new family roller coaster the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which opened just days before.  “I thought Disney was just for kids but I see it is for everyone – even adults that are young at heart like me” said Kurt He, editor in chief of Top Travel, after his day long adventure in the Magic Kingdom and MGM studios.  Butterbeer and quidditch wowed the group at Universal Orlando, as they soared into Harry Potter’s Wizarding World filled with wands and magic spells.

The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel:

Sun, sand, sea and shells was on the agenda for all three days on the west coast of Florida.  First up, the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel took the group on a kayaking adventure.  As if on cue, manatees surrounded the group and followed them for the better part of an hour-long tour of the mangroves.  Coco Hu, who had never been to the Sunshine State before, found the more natural side of Florida a favorite. “I have never kayaked before or seen a manatee in the wild,” she said.  Interested in environmental issues and conservation, the entire stop on the west coast of Florida was a treat to her.  Dolphins leaped behind the boat as the group made its way from a beach trip exploring crabs and, of course, getting a first-hand look at the “Sanibel stoop” as they shelled along the shoreline. Joining the Chinese media were journalists  from the local paper the News-Press writing a feature article about the visit.

Welcome to Miami:

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau made sure the journalists didn’t leave Florida without a hands-on experience with the official state reptile, the alligator.  The Everglades Alligator Farm next to the national park lets visitors hold not only a baby alligator but a python, too.  If good journalism means getting involved with your subject, then this group proved to be all about hands-on experiences, even if meant getting up close with a python or sitting astride a camel at the Miami Zoo.  They were game for it all and photographed every move they made with selfies or by asking friends to take their camera to capture a moment.  Miami showed off its many sides and diverse offerings during the four-day stopover.  The tour of the Wynwood Walls area introduced the group to spectacular graffiti like nothing they had ever seen before.  Vicayza’s elegance gave a perfect backdrop to dozens of photos in the gardens and the Biltmore‘s Palm d’Or restaurant showcased a chef’s sampler menu in one of Florida’s top-rated restaurants.

At first glance it looks like a whirlwind tour covering more than 300 miles.  But crisscrossing the state in a little over a week offered a glimpse of Florida’s many sides to journalists who soaked up the Sunshine State and took hundreds of photos to share the experience with their publications.

China is a top international market for Florida, with visitation by Chinese travelers to the Sunshine State in 2013 up 32 percent over the previous year and visitor spending up 43 percent.  For more information on future international media events, please check out the VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Planner or contact me at pforrester@VISITFLORIDA.org.