Sunshine Matters

I’m pleased to share VISIT FLORIDA’s preliminary estimates* of visitors to Florida for the first quarter of 2011 (January – March) which show an estimated 23.3 million travelers visited the Sunshine State.  This represents an increase of 3.3 percent from the same period in 2010.

Preliminary estimates for the first quarter of 2011 show a 2.0 percent increase in domestic visitors, a 14.4 percent increase in the overseas market and an 8.1 percent increase in Canadian travel to Florida.  Of the 23.3 million visitors Florida welcomed this past quarter, domestic visitation represents 19.8 million or an estimated 84.8 percent of total; overseas visitors at 2.1 million or 9.1 percent of total; and Canadian visitors at 1.4 million or 6.1 percent of total.  Florida’s tourism-related employment for the first quarter of 2011 was 1,003,200, up by 52,300 jobs, which reflects a 5.5 percent increase when compared to the same period of 2010. Continue reading »

VISIT FLORIDA is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week with the release of a new public service announcement (PSA) for our Share a Little Sunshine program featuring Governor Rick Scott.  The PSA showcases the importance of tourism as a job creator and encourages Floridians to help the state by joining in the movement at ShareaLittleSunshine.org. To view the PSA, please click here. Continue reading »

Governor Rick Scott and the “Sunshine Ambassadors” from VISIT FLORIDA returned from last week’s highly visible “Share a Little Sunshine” tour with a renewed commitment to the importance of tourism in Florida.  Governor Scott and the rest of the team spent two days in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Chicago hosting Florida-themed events, speaking with potential visitors and meetings professionals, and awarding Florida vacation packages to lucky winners.  Continue reading »

After a brutally harsh winter for many Americans, Florida Governor Rick Scott and VISIT FLORIDA have organized the “Share a Little Sunshine Tour” to invite those hit hardest by this year’s unseasonably cold weather to defrost in sunny Florida.  Governor Scott and the rest of the “Sunshine Ambassadors” will start their two-day tour March 1 in Orlando and make stops in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Chicago.  When the whirlwind tour ends in the Windy City, 120 lucky winners will board a chartered plane and return to Orlando with the Governor to take a much-needed break from the worst winter many have seen in decades. Continue reading »

Reversing a two-year trend in decreased visitor numbers, Florida rebounds in 2010.  According to preliminary estimates* released today by VISIT FLORIDA, an estimated 82.6 million visitors came to Florida in 2010, an increase of 2.1 percent over 2009 figures.  Continue reading »