Sunshine Matters

With over 150 Florida industry representatives in attendance at World Travel Market 2011, many of you reading this blog are well aware of the buzz surrounding the show this year.  There was much anticipation for the brand reveal by the Corporation for Travel Promotion.  “Brand USA,” as it is now known, was launched during two invitation-only events and a press conference, and was prominently displayed throughout the trade show floor.  The anticipation of a long overdue U.S. tourism brand created demand for space and, for the first time in a decade, space was at a premium.  Being at capacity meant more appointments and it was very apparent as partners had little down time during the show. Continue reading »

Florida’s tourism industry hosted 11.1 million international visitors from 144 different countries who spent $10.6 billion in 2010.  These figures represent a 15.6% increase in international visitors and a 23.4% increase in their spending over the previous year.  Air travelers make up 88% of Florida’s international visitors, an increase of 14% from the prior year.  Given that the vast majority of international visitors arrive by air, VISIT FLORIDA’s best avenue to continue to increase our overseas traveler numbers is by finding innovative ways to improve flight access to the Sunshine State. Continue reading »

Pow Wow Golf Tournament, photo by Ralf Finn Hestoft

Busy and wowed may be an understatement! VISIT FLORIDA exhibited at U.S. Travel’s International Pow Wow last week in San Francisco, as did numerous industry partners.  This is only the second time in its 43-year history that Pow Wow has been held in San Francisco, the last time being in 1992.  The city proved to be a huge draw, attracting over 1,100 tour operators, 450 travel writers and 3,500 suppliers.  By all accounts, it was a huge success for all involved.  The mood and energy on the floor and throughout the event was optimistic and upbeat.  I’m pleased to report that VISIT FLORIDA’s international team had a full slate of appointments and met with over 150 key tour operators from throughout the world during the three days of scheduled appointments, as well as 100 media during the media marketplace.  The three spectacular hosted evening events offered additional opportunities for us to connect with key acquaintances. Continue reading »

This past week, March 9-13, I was in Germany for the 45th edition of ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show.  With very strong industry support, VISIT FLORIDA coordinated the largest stand within the USA pavilion with 80 Florida industry partners in attendance.  Surprisingly, when we arrived we discovered that spring had sprung with Berlin experiencing mild temperatures and blue skies.  So, if weather is any indicator, we should expect a sunny future for international tourism arrivals in 2011, keeping with the trend we experienced in 2010. Continue reading »

VISIT FLORIDA recently released its third quarter numbers revealing that overseas visitors to the state are up 17.4 percent, Canadian visitors have increased by 23 percent, and overall we’re up 0.6 percent from the same time period in 2009.  As director of international sales and marketing, the international statistics are certainly worth discussing in my opinion.  And, they will be a major topic of discussion next week during the annual VISIT FLORIDA marketing retreat to start planning for the 2011-2012 fiscal year budget.  Continue reading »