Sunshine Matters

According to a study released in February 2011 by the Convention Industry Council – widely recognized by the tourism industry as the first, definitive, qualitative, research-based analysis of the economic significance of meetings in the U.S. – nearly 1.8 million meetings took place, attended by 205 million participants, generating over $263 billion in direct spending and creating 1.7 million jobs.  Last year in Florida, nearly 10.7 million visitors traveled to the state for business purposes, with more than 55 percent attending conventions, seminars and meetings. Continue reading »

I am excited to share with you that the Corporation for Travel Promotion will now be conducting business as “Brand USA, Inc.”

Created in 2010 to encourage international visitation to the United States, the Corporation for Travel Promotion – now Brand USA, Inc. – has developed a new global brand and positioning strategy that focuses on increasing international visitation to the U.S. through marketing and promotional efforts.  Brand USA is the first critical effort in launching the United States into the global travel market, with the goal of making it a top-of-mind destination for international travelers to visit. Continue reading »

The 44^th Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held September 25 – 27 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, was quite a success with more than 750 members of the travel industry, nearly 100 exhibitors and sponsors, and over 20 industry speakers in attendance.

Each year, VISIT FLORIDA hosts this premier educational conference for the Florida tourism industry.  The event is designed to educate and engage members of the industry by highlighting the latest marketing strategies, critical research data and best practices. Continue reading »

As the official tourism marketing corporation for the state, VISIT FLORIDA is committed to providing leadership that will ensure Florida’s tourism industry remains competitive and sustainable.  In order to accomplish this, it is important for VISIT FLORIDA to position itself as a thought leader and valuable resource to key Florida tourism stakeholders.

One way VISIT FLORIDA serves this role of educating and engaging Florida’s tourism industry is by hosting our annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism.  This year’s event, held at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood September 25-27, offered the opportunity for more than 750 members of the travel industry from across the state to obtain critical research data, share best practices and receive powerful hands-on marketing solutions for their destination marketing challenges.

This year’s conference focused on 10 Steps for Florida’s tourism businesses to get the most out of VISIT FLORIDA’s marketing programs.  Below are some highlights of the presentation we gave on this topic with links to help you take the best advantage of each opportunity: Continue reading »

Florida’s tourism industry hosted 11.1 million international visitors from 144 different countries who spent $10.6 billion in 2010.  These figures represent a 15.6% increase in international visitors and a 23.4% increase in their spending over the previous year.  Air travelers make up 88% of Florida’s international visitors, an increase of 14% from the prior year.  Given that the vast majority of international visitors arrive by air, VISIT FLORIDA’s best avenue to continue to increase our overseas traveler numbers is by finding innovative ways to improve flight access to the Sunshine State. Continue reading »