Sunshine Matters

Of the estimated 91.5 million visitors (not including residents) who visited Florida last year, 13.9 million were from Canada and overseas markets.  Compared to 2011, overseas travel to Florida increased 10.3% in 2012, and accounted for 11.3% of total visitation to the state.  Given the importance of these overseas travelers, VISIT FLORIDA’s International Team started the 2013-2014 fiscal year coordinating several new signature events and missions that provided our Florida industry Partners with significant added value.

Brazil VIP Event/ABAV:  Brazil ranks number two in top international countries for visitation to Florida, with 1.7 million visitors in 2012.

One of VISIT FLORIDA’s new events this year in Brazil was our VIP event organized around ABAV, which is the main tourism trade event for this market. Our stand-alone VIP event, which was timed to give Marketing Partners attending ABAV more exposure while they were in-market, took place at NOH Restaurant and Lounge in the Jardins area of Sao Paulo.  More than 130 top producing tour operators, travel agents and airline partners were in attendance, along with nine of our Marketing Partners and 16 local media.

UK Summer Event:  The United Kingdom was in the top three international countries for visitation to Florida in 2012, bringing in 1.5 million visitors.

VISIT FLORIDA partnered with Jamie Magazine, an award-winning, recipe-packed food magazine created by Jamie Oliver in the UK.  As part of our partnership, VISIT FLORIDA received an eight page advertorial on authentic Florida foods and an opportunity to host an event at one of Jamie Oliver’s signature cookery schools, Recipease.  This was one of the first opportunities VISIT FLORIDA has had to host an event around an advertorial.  More than 30 trade and media and 14 Marketing Partners were able to network while preparing their own Florida-cuisine inspired meals in a cooking class under the guidance and instruction of Chef Justin Timineri from the Florida Department of Agriculture – the only state chef in the country.  The eight-page advertorial’s content was the result of a FAM tour with a UK writer and photographer exploring authentic Florida foods, including seafood and citrus from the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

Nordic and Netherlands Sales Mission:   Combined, over 450,000 visitors from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands visited Florida in 2012.

VISIT FLORIDA hosted a five-day sales mission in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.  The mission included various sales meetings, workshops and training sessions, and networking luncheons and dinners, with more than 250 travel trade and five Marketing Partners. This was a great opportunity for VISIT FLORIDA and our Marketing Partners to provide updates on what’s new in Florida to a significant number of Nordic and Netherlands trade during a tightly packed schedule.

Germany PR Event:  Germany ranked 6th in visitation to Florida in 2012, with 341,000 visitors representing a 12% increase over 2011.

VISIT FLORIDA organized a media event in Hamburg, Germany offering six Marketing Partners the opportunity to interact with 19 German journalists during a BBQ cooking course at Starküche.  Our Marketing Partners had the opportunity to provide an overview of their destination and pitch stories during the event.

India VIP Event/Brand USA India Mission:  India is considered one of Florida’s emerging markets, currently representing a small share of visitation (58,000 visitors in 2012) with expectations of growth over the next few years.

VISIT FLORIDA’s first VIP trade event in India, organized around the Brand USA India Mission, provided six Marketing Partners with additional exposure while in market.  The event took place at ITC Grand Central, one of the premier hotels in Mumbai and attracted nearly 175 attendees.  The evening consisted of a networking reception, providing our Marketing Partners with a relaxed opportunity to present their destination or product in front of the group before enjoying a wonderful dinner.

For a complete listing of VISIT FLORIDA’s upcoming international programs, please check out our Marketing Planner. To learn more about how you can get involved, contact Carolyn Jones at 850-205-3809 or cjones@VISITFLORIDA.org.