Sunshine Matters

I am incredibly proud to share that today Governor Rick Scott announced his recommendation for VISIT FLORIDA to receive an historic $100 million in funding in the 2014-15 “It’s Your Money Tax Cut Budget.”  With this funding, VISIT FLORIDA will be able to market the Sunshine State year round to domestic visitors, increase marketing to international visitors, and assist communities in attracting direct international air service to Florida. Continue reading »

Today during a press conference at Busch Gardens Tampa, Governor Scott announced that according to VISIT FLORIDA’s preliminary estimates* 22.9 million visitors came to Florida in the third quarter of 2013 (July-September), an increase of 1.7 percent over the same period in 2012.  These numbers represent the largest third quarter for visitation in the state’s history.  Continue reading »

I am pleased to announce that the 2012-2013 VISIT FLORIDA Annual Report is now available online.   This marks the fourth year we have produced the report in an interactive online format, with the opportunity to download a printable PDF version.  The previous three year’s reports are also available.  We hope making the annual reports available online, with links to more details through archived blog posts and other web content, will allow viewers to move more easily through the wealth of information on VISIT FLORIDA’s efforts to market the Sunshine State and serve as a thought leader for the tourism industry this past fiscal year. Continue reading »

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that according to preliminary estimates* released by VISIT FLORIDA – the state’s official tourism marketing corporation – 23.4 million visitors came to Florida in the second quarter of 2013 (April-June), an increase of 2.6 percent over the same period in 2012.  This makes Q2 2013 the largest second quarter for visitation in the state’s history. Continue reading »

A team from VISIT FLORIDA has begun a four-month odyssey to capture stunning images of the Sunshine State’s 825 miles of beaches using Google’s Street View Trekker technology.  These 360-degree images will be integrated into Google Maps, enabling potential visitors from around the globe to experience interactive views of Florida’s world-renowned beaches before they ever leave home. Continue reading »