Sunshine Matters

According to preliminary estimates* we released today, 22.1 million visitors came to Florida in the second quarter of 2012 (April-June), an increase of 1.3 percent over the same period in 2011.  Direct travel-related employment in Florida also rose 1.1 percent to 1,041,900, adding 11,300 jobs since this time one year ago and representing the largest employment total since first quarter 2008. Continue reading »

The Sunshine State’s tourism industry was well represented at the 98th Annual Destination Marketing Association International Convention in Seattle last week, with a contingent of nearly 50 Florida attendees.  There were numerous members of the Florida delegation who received accolades during the convention for their continued excellence and engagement with DMAI, including:

• Walt Disney Parks & Resorts was announced as the recipient of the prestigious Destination & Travel Foundation 2013 Spirit of Hospitality Award winner for excellence in destination marketing, tourism and meetings
• Visit Orlando achieved re-accreditation through the industry-wide Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) for being a DMO that meets or exceeds industry standards Continue reading »

Glenn Hastings, 2012-2013 VISIT FLORIDA Chairman

With the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, VISIT FLORIDA is ushering in new leadership to serve on our industry committees and Board of Directors.  Glenn Hastings, Executive Director of the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, takes over as the 2012-2013 Chairman of the Board.  Hastings succeeds Tony Lapi, CEO of the ‘Tweens Waters Inn Island Resort on Captiva Island, who served as Chairman during a year in which Florida welcomed a record number of visitors. Continue reading »

I’m pleased to share that today VISIT FLORIDA announced the lineup of speakers and special events for our 45^th Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism being held September 5-7, 2012 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld.  For more than four decades, this event has been recognized as the premier educational conference for the Florida tourism industry, providing the opportunity for participants to learn the latest in marketing strategies, receive critical industry research data and share best practices. Continue reading »

According to preliminary estimates* we released today, 23.4 million visitors came to Florida in the first quarter of 2012 (January-March), an increase of 2.4 percent over the same period in 2011.  Direct travel-related employment in Florida also rose 1.9 percent to 1,027,500, adding 19,200 jobs since this time one year ago and representing the largest employment total since first quarter 2008. Continue reading »