Sunshine Matters

To leverage the new route Turkish Airlines launched on October 25 from Istanbul to Miami, VISIT FLORIDA, in partnership with the airline, brought five Indian journalists to Florida to showcase all the Sunshine State has to offer. While Indians are typically familiar with gateway cities like Miami and Orlando, there are plenty of surprises that these, as well as more off-the-beaten-path, cities offer when it comes to vacations.

In Miami, the journalists discovered that there’s more to the city than South Beach. On a guided walking tour of Wynwood Walls, the journalists learned how an abandoned warehouse district has become one of the greatest locations in the world for street art, with more than 50 graffiti artists representing 16 countries leaving their mark on over 80,000 square feet of walls.  The movement has taken over the city, including a local middle school, Jose de Diego, to bring art and inspiration to future generations.

Tampa proved to be action packed, with plenty of athletic opportunities for every skill level. The day began with a scenic bike ride along Bayshore Drive – an activity the media hadn’t had the opportunity to participate in since childhood. Next up was a safari excursion at Busch Gardens, complete with giraffe selfies from the bed of a pickup truck.  The day concluded with a sunset tour aboard the Tampa Bay Water Taxi.

A trip to Keewaydin Island in Naples combined leisure and nature into one great adventure. The group boarded a luxurious 10-passenger charter boat complete with strawberries, champagne and a knowledgeable captain to take the group to the remote island once inhabited by Calusa Indians.  The island is only a 20-minute boat ride from the city of Naples, but upon arrival, it’s like being transported back to the 1920s when Barron Collier first began building his vision of the city.  There, sand dollars, starfish and conch shells were collected by the handful as souvenirs from the epic beach adventure.

Turkish Airlines new route creates a great opportunity for Florida as it provides easier access for Indians to take a vacation in the Sunshine State.  By providing journalists with a first-hand experience of Florida, they are able to share inspiring stories to the more than 1.2 billion people who live in India through their newspaper, magazine and digital articles.

VISIT FLORIDA would like to thank our Partners – The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Visit Tampa Bay and Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades CVB – for introducing the media to the unexpected side of Florida.  For more information about VISIT FLORIDA FAM trips, please contact me at lspann@VISITFLORIDA.org.