Sunshine Matters

During last week’s economic development mission to the U.K., Governor Rick Scott and VISIT FLORIDA co-hosted a summer luncheon barbecue for 60 key in-country travel trade and media executives.  The event, held at Sir Richard Branson’s spectacular Kensington Roof Gardens in central London, was also attended by many of VISIT FLORIDA’s partners based in the U.K.  We were thanked numerous times for “bringing the sunshine,” as our outdoor function marked the first time Brits had seen nice weather in over three weeks.

During the event, VISIT FLORIDA announced that we are quadrupling our marketing budget for the U.K. and Europe for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.  We have budgeted $2 million on marketing efforts that include joint initiatives with new and existing airline and tour operator partners to promote the Sunshine State to this vital international market.

A new marketing campaign, including advertising and social media elements, will launch later this year.  A key aspect of the new campaign will be to reach young travelers by engaging them through social media to offer the right message at the right time in their travel planning process.

The U.K. is Florida’s largest European market and the third largest overall, behind Canada and Brazil.  The U.K. had 1.3 million visitors to Florida in 2011 who spent just over $1 billion.

As part of his mission trip, Governor Scott met with British Prime Minister David Cameron at the Farnborough air show.  Florida accounts for 7.3 percent of the U.K. long-haul market and, given the increasingly competitive global travel landscape, VISIT FLORIDA is determined to ensure Florida keeps its share.  One way VISIT FLORIDA is working to encourage airlines to launch flights to Florida from new destinations is through our Airline Grant program.

Working with our international partners to host events like the U.K. luncheon that showcase Florida to overseas travelers is key to VISIT FLORIDA’s ongoing efforts to make the Sunshine State the No. 1 travel destination in the world.  To view a slideshow of all the photos taken during the U.K. event, please click here.