Sunshine Matters

Pictured left to right: Felicia Plummer, Lauren Shoaf, Steven Bonda and Brenda Bryant

As VISIT FLORIDA’s Director of Sales, I am amazed each day by our Events Team’s passion and drive to grow professionally and stay current in the tourism industry’s ever-evolving environment.  I take immense pride in seeing each of the individuals achieve their professional and personal goals despite their busy schedules.  Their achievements position VISIT FLORIDA and, by extension, the entire Florida tourism industry as leaders at the local, state and national level. Continue reading »

VISIT FLORIDA and the Florida tourism industry definitely made waves at the recent Collaborate Marketplace 2012, held at the Red Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.  With over 70 Florida tourism partners present at the event, corporate meeting planners from all across the U.S. are definitely aware that “Florida Means Business” and that we’re serious about hosting their next meetings, conventions and incentive travel functions here in the Sunshine State. Continue reading »

According to preliminary estimates* we released today, 23.4 million visitors came to Florida in the first quarter of 2012 (January-March), an increase of 2.4 percent over the same period in 2011.  Direct travel-related employment in Florida also rose 1.9 percent to 1,027,500, adding 19,200 jobs since this time one year ago and representing the largest employment total since first quarter 2008. Continue reading »

VISIT FLORIDA was front and center during the 44th Annual U. S. Travel International Pow Wow held in Los Angeles.   The 5-day event had an estimated attendance of nearly 6,000 travel professionals, including more than 1,200 international and domestic buyers, 500 international and domestic media and 1,100 U.S. supplier companies exhibiting.  The appointment-based program attracted representatives from more than 70 countries who conducted more than 80,000 business appointments expected to generate in excess of $3.5 billion in future travel to the U.S. Continue reading »

As part of today’s opening presentation for the Florida Association of Destination Marketing Organizations’ Industry Summit, I was proud to announce VISIT FLORIDA’s new founding partnership with Brand USA.  Patterned on the VISIT FLORIDA model as a public-private tourism marketing corporation, Brand USA was created in 2010 to encourage travelers from all over the world to visit the United States.  Through our base commitment of $1 million and significant in-kind investments, VISIT FLORIDA joins Marriott International, the Walt Disney Company and Best Western International as Brand USA’s founding travel partners. Continue reading »