Sunshine Matters

VISIT FLORIDA and six of our Industry Partners gathered last week in snowy Toronto to celebrate the upcoming launch of Air Canada’s new flight from Toronto to Jacksonville.  Beginning May 7, Air Canada will provide non-stop flights from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport to the Jacksonville International Airport.  Delegates from across the region banded together to help make this new service a reality.

Canada continues to be the top international country for travel to Florida, with more than 3.9 million visitors spending $4.1 billion in the Sunshine State in 2015.  Air Canada is the leading Canadian airline bringing those visitors to Florida, with nearly 8,000 flights into the state last year.

As sponsors of the launch event, VISIT FLORIDA and our Partners brought some much appreciated sunshine to Toronto by hosting a Florida Lounge. More than 250 guests attended, including travel agents, corporate guests, freight forwarders and trade media.  We would like to thank our participating Partners, including Jacksonville International Airport, Florida’s First Coast of Golf, Amelia Island CVB, Visit Jacksonville, Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches, and St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches VCB.

For more information on VISIT FLORIDA’s international marketing efforts and our Air Team Florida program, contact me at aabney@VISIT FLORIDA.org.