Sunshine Matters

With today’s announcement by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker of the new Travel and Tourism Advisory Board members for the coming year, Florida’s tourism industry continues to be well represented at the national level.  Congratulations to John Sprouls, CEO & EVP of Universal Parks and Resorts in Orlando, who was named Chair.  Other members from Florida include George Aguel, President & CEO of Visit Orlando; Olga Ramudo, President & CEO of Express Travel of Miami and William D. Talbert, III, CDME, President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.  The tourism and travel advisory board serves as the leadership council for the International Trade Association, whose mission is to help strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. industry. Continue reading »

While VISIT FLORIDA focuses the majority of our efforts on marketing the Sunshine State to visitors around the globe, we are also highly engaged at the national level through service on and participation in U.S. Department of Commerce and Brand USA efforts. Continue reading »

Today, President Obama gave tremendous visibility to the Florida tourism industry when he called for the development of a national travel and tourism strategy while speaking at Walt Disney World in Orlando.  In addition to the creation of an intra-agency task force on travel promotion strategies, the President called for improvements to the visa process, expanded the Global Entry Program and announced the appointment of new members to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

I was privileged to be in attendance at today’s event and later sworn in as one of the 32 private sector CEOs to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board tasked with advising the Secretary of Commerce on policies affecting the travel and tourism industry.  I look forward to serving on the board with my fellow tourism executives and to having the opportunity to work closely with Secretary Bryson over the next two years.

I commend the administration’s new initiatives, especially those efforts toward visa reform that will lessen the inconveniences international travelers experience when visiting the United States.  Making it easier for travelers from Brazil, China and other countries to visit the Sunshine State equates to increased tourism spending and more jobs for Floridians. Continue reading »