Sunshine Matters

In conjunction with the U.S. Travel Association’s annual Travel Leadership Summit in Washington D.C., VISIT FLORIDA partnered with the California Travel & Tourism Commission to host the “Golden State Meets Sunshine State” Congressional Reception. The event was held Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at The Terrace above Charlie Palmer Steak Restaurant, just a few blocks away from the Nation’s Capitol.

The joint venture between Florida and California was designed to show unity within the national tourism industry, specifically between two of the largest tourism states in the country. The key message of the evening was that meetings and travel mean jobs, and tourism is an economic engine that can help bolster the struggling economy.

A short program during the reception provided the opportunity for Chris Thompson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA and Caroline Beteta, President and CEO of the California Travel and Tourism Commission to address Members of Congress and attendees, thanking them for their continued support of the tourism industry. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz along with Congressmen Ron Klein and Kendrick Meek attended the event and Senator George S. LeMieux addressed the dual state crowd.

The event coincided with current efforts in Congress to pass the Travel Promotions Act (TPA), which aims to strengthen the image of the United States abroad and reverse a decline in travel to the U.S. The bill would create the Corporation for Travel Promotion, a nonprofit entity comprised of a full-time marketing staff and board of private sector marketing representatives reporting to the Department of Commerce. The Travel Promotion Act has already passed in the Senate 79-19 and is currently waiting to be taken up in the House. The Travel Leadership Summit allowed VISIT FLORIDA Partners the chance to lobby for congressional members’ support of the TPA.

Following the event, members of Florida’s tourism industry made visits to Capitol Hill to meet desk-side with the congressional delegation. These meetings served to reinforce the importance of their support for the tourism industry and for the TPA.

Members of Florida’s tourism industry included:

• Ed Fouché, Disney Destinations, LLC
• Jack Wert, Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB
• Tony Lapi, Tween Waters Inn
• Jacob DiPietre, Walt Disney World Company
• Bill Talbert, Greater Miami CVB
• Randy Garfield, Walt Disney World Company
• Richard Goldman, Amelia Island Plantation
• Jay Galbraith, SeaWorld Orlando
• John McReynolds, Universal Orlando
• Carol Dover, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association
• Richard Turner, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association
• Suya Davenport, Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel
• Gene Prescott, The Biltmore Hotel

I would like to thank all of the California and Florida legislators, as well as our VISIT FLORIDA Partners and staff, who helped make this event such a huge success. Despite having some pretty sore feet at the end of the three days, the opportunities we had to meet with members of the congressional delegation from all across the country and the friendships that were reinforced during the visit made it all worthwhile.