Sunshine Matters

The Capitol Welcome Center managed by VISIT FLORIDA has recently undergone a stunning renovation.  The new look and feel of the space elevates it from a Capitol information booth to a digitally-enhanced Welcome Center of the Future that invites visitors to enjoy a true Florida Experience.

First opened in 1972 in what is now the Historic Capitol, the Welcome Center moved into the new Capitol building upon its completion in 1977 and is still located in its original spot on the west side of the Plaza level.  In 2001, the Welcome Center underwent a significant change, downsizing to share space with a newly added gift shop.  While the Department of Management Services was able to transform the smaller space into a functional design that has served for the past 13 years, the Capitol Welcome Center would need a significant update to showcase all the Florida tourism industry has to offer.

The renovation project was the result of a plan set out three years ago by the VISIT FLORIDA Visitor Services Committee members who recognized the business model that had served us well in all five of the Official Florida Welcome Centers for more than 65 years was unlikely to carry us forward successfully unchanged.  The updated design incorporates a digital space for storytelling that features video content from our Florida Insiders reporting on beaches, boating and fishing, outdoors and nature, golf, attractions and much more.  Other display screens showcase infographics on Florida’s tourism industry and how it acts as an economic driver for the state, as well as images from VISIT FLORIDA’s year-round tourism marketing campaigns.

Throughout all the changes, the Capitol Welcome Center has maintained its mission of educating visitors on Florida tourism, history and government.   Welcoming more than 90,000 visitors a year, the two-man team behind the Capitol Welcome Center remain busy conducting tours for students and other civic groups, offering assistance to various state government departments within the Capitol and sharing their knowledge of all there is to see and do in Florida with visitors from around the globe.

In addition to the remodel project, the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame is currently being relocated from the VISIT FLORIDA headquarters to the Capitol building.  The new Hall of Fame, along with the re-imagined Capitol Welcome Center, have become a fitting representation in the Florida Capitol of the vital role Florida’s tourism industry plays in the economic success of the Sunshine State.