Sunshine Matters

With today’s announcement by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker of the new Travel and Tourism Advisory Board members for the coming year, Florida’s tourism industry continues to be well represented at the national level.  Congratulations to John Sprouls, CEO & EVP of Universal Parks and Resorts in Orlando, who was named Chair.  Other members from Florida include George Aguel, President & CEO of Visit Orlando; Olga Ramudo, President & CEO of Express Travel of Miami and William D. Talbert, III, CDME, President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.  The tourism and travel advisory board serves as the leadership council for the International Trade Association, whose mission is to help strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. industry. Continue reading »

Brand USA recently held its “#tasteUSA” MegaFam, hosting 60 of the top-selling travel agents from Australia and New Zealand.  The agents were split into six teams, each traveling to a different state, who were pitted against one another in a social media battle to explore the culinary aspects and attractions of the cities visited within each destination. Continue reading »

Brand USA launched its USA MegaFam 2016 last week, which included seven itineraries spanning 16 states with destinations hosting a total of 100 travel agents, travel consultants and reservation specialists.  The “Southern Shine” itinerary kicked off in the Sunshine State before moving on to locations in Georgia and South Carolina, and concluding with a finale presentation in California today.  The “Southern Shiners” group included 15 elite travel agents from England, Scotland and Ireland who were hand-picked by Brand USA. Continue reading »

Brazil is one of Florida’s key global markets, ranked among the top three countries for international visitation with nearly 1.5 million visitors in 2015 who spent more than $1.7 billion while in the Sunshine State.  To ensure we remain top of mind with Brazilian travelers, VISIT FLORIDA’s International Marketing & Events Team recently participated in World Travel Market Latin America. Continue reading »

Last week, VISIT FLORIDA traveled to Canada to “Share the Sunshine” with media in Toronto and Montreal.  It’s been said that Florida is Canada’s back yard, despite the hundreds of miles and states that separate the two.  As the largest market with more than 27 percent of Florida’s international visitors, Canada is extremely valuable for Florida tourism. Continue reading »