Sunshine Matters

Ranked within Florida’s top 10 visitation and spending markets, Mexico brought in 435,000 visitors to the state in 2015 who spent $371 million.  Florida is currently ranked as the third most important vacation destination for Mexicans in the world.  With Orlando being the top destination for this market, VISIT FLORIDA planned a press trip for four key Mexican journalists to experience all that area and surrounding markets have to offer.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom were the first stop for the journalists, who thoroughly enjoyed seeing some of the ever-changing attractions such as Frozen and Star Wars.  Next up was a trip to the Orlando Eye, which was celebrating its one-year anniversary during our time in Orlando.  This part of the itinerary offered the journalists an opportunity to explore the SKELETONS Museum, the new Sea Life Aquarium, Madame Tussaunds’ Wax Museum and a spectacular view of Orlando through the Eye.

Only 30 minutes away, the journalists were amazed by the charming downtown of Winter Park.  Learning about the booming farm-to-table restaurant concepts while dining at Boca, the journalists were entranced by the lettuce arrangements on the table and the tiny store full of the restaurant’s home-grown plants and herbs used to prepare the meals.  Following lunch, the journalists were given a tour of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, where they saw the vast collection of glass work by Louis Comfort Tiffany, well known for his lamps.

Vacations are not complete without shopping, and this is especially true for Mexican visitors.  The journalists had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at one of Orlando’s premier malls, The Mall at Millenia.  In addition to the selection of stores and services, the group learned about the architecture and amazing details from the Jurassic tile to the overall theme of time that is present in all corners of the mall.

Wanting to give the Mexican journalists the opportunity to experience other nearby areas to Orlando, we traveled two hours south to St. Petersburg/Clearwater.  The group was awestruck by the beaches, breweries, artistic district and fresh cuisine in the area.  With Mexico being a top museum hub, a full day of arts was a natural fit for this FAM tour.

Spending the day at the Clearwater Aquarium, Dali Museum, exploring the Morean Arts Center’s Chihuly Collection and seeing a live glass blowing demonstration at the Glass Studio & Hot Shop, the journalists were impressed with the possibilities just a short drive away from Orlando.  They rounded out the day with a tour of one of the area’s top breweries, Daughters Brewing, where they learned about the process and the impact local breweries have on the area.

Of course, a visit to Clearwater Beach is a must when in the area.  Getting a taste of what it’s like on the other side of the Gulf of Mexico, the journalists were thrilled to experience one of the nation’s top-ranked beaches.

VISIT FLORIDA would like to thank our Partners Visit Orlando and Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater for introducing the media to the fascinating art, shopping, and culinary options available to visitors in Florida.  For more information about VISIT FLORIDA FAM trips, please contact me at cclaussen@VISITFLORIDA.org.