 | VISIT FLORIDA & Partners Host Key Family Travel Influencers |
Florida offers families great choices when it comes to planning a vacation. Kids’ ages and interests often dictate what kinds of activities families will seek out on vacation. Moms, dads, and single parents make decisions based on a variety of factors, including input from their kids. Thirty-nine percent of Florida’s domestic visitors are families. Moms make roughly 80 percent of travel related decisions and are a market segment that is rapidly becoming more digital. Fifty-eight percent of the moms in those homes use the Internet over TV or magazines when planning vacations, and 74 percent of moms have purchased products as a result of a promotion mentioned in a blog. So naturally, the family blogging community is crucial in helping and inspiring parents with ideas and travel planning decisions.
To this end, VISIT FLORIDA created “Family Travelers #LoveFL,” a blogger engagement and PR program designed to host and network with 10 top-tier family bloggers. Planning and hosting partners included Marriott Vacation Club (Lakeshore Reserve), Grande Lakes Orlando (JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton campus) and Visit Orlando. VISIT FLORIDA also worked with 10 DMOs to participate in the program and host the bloggers during individual FAM trips.
Here’s how the program unfolded:
- On May 11, mommy bloggers arrived at Grande Lakes Orlando to their accommodations at Marriott’s Lakeshore Reserve to learn how the three properties work as a hospitality campus, providing families a variety of accommodation options.
- Kicking off the three-day program, the host hotels provided a welcome dinner at Highball and Harvest, located at The Ritz-Carlton.
- The bloggers were treated to family fun activities, including a guided kayak eco-tour on Shingle Creek (the headwaters of the Florida Everglades), a guided fishing excursion, and spa treatments at The Ritz-Carlton.
- Visit Orlando hosted the group for tours of the new Orlando Eye, the centerpiece experience at I-Drive 360. Following I-Drive 360, bloggers received a tour of the forthcoming Crayola Experience attraction and a walking tour of Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, followed by dinner at Cowfish at Citywalk.
- VISIT FLORIDA held a special brand engagement session with the bloggers, facilitating a conversation about best practices, family travel trends and insights.
- VISIT FLORIDA hosted a blogger luncheon at the JW Marriott, which was co-sponsored and attended by 10 DMOs from around the state. During the luncheon, each DMO representative spoke about their destination, sharing news and updates on family-related travel experiences and assets.
- Before and after the three-day program, each blogger was hosted by one of the 10 DMOs for individual destination tours. VISIT FLORIDA supported the bloggers with travel arrangements and coordinated pairings between the bloggers and their hosted DMO FAM trip.
The 10 participating bloggers ranged from presidents of blogging networks to individual blogging brands. The blogs represented were: About.com/Family Travel, Away Is Home, Classy Mommy, Growing Up Bilingual, Her Bad Mother, Solo Mom Takes Flight, Taking The Kids, Traveling Mamas, Traveling Mom and Trekaroo. Collectively, these blogging brands reach more than 36 million consumers each month via their blogs and social media channels.
VISIT FLORIDA would like to thank the host hotel partners at Grande Lakes Orlando and Lakeshore Reserve, and Visit Orlando, for their partnership in planning and hosting. Thank yous also go out to the 10 DMOs who hosted the bloggers during the individual FAMs and co-sponsored the luncheon: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, Dayton Beach, Visit Central Florida, Visit Citrus, Visit Gainesville, Visit Jacksonville & the Beaches, Visit Orlando, Visit Sarasota, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and Visit Tallahassee.
To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA’s PR programs, contact me at kmorgan@VISITFLORIDA.org.
Kenneth Morgan-Schleuning
Public Relations Manager
Category: Uncategorized | Tags: #LoveFL, VISIT FLORIDA | Comment »
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