Sunshine Matters

While in Washington, D.C. for the Connecting America Through Travel conference and the U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors meeting, I was privileged today to have the opportunity to meet with Congressman Gus Bilirakis, U.S. Representative for Florida’s 12th Congressional District, and Patricia Rojas-Ungár, Vice President of Government Relations for the U.S. Travel Association. Continue reading »

I am proud to share that today VISIT FLORIDA announced the launch of a major fall brand campaign focused on targeting young and mature child-free travelers.  The announcement was made during a presentation at our 46th Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism.  While fall has historically been slightly softer in terms of visitation, individual visitor spending for that period is the highest – with an average of $133 per person per day.  Research indicates that if just 20 percent of the state’s visitors were to stay one more day, Florida’s economy would benefit from a nearly $2 billion spending increase. Continue reading »

Attendee registration for the 46th Annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism is now open.  This year, VISIT FLORIDA’s signature event and Florida’s premier educational conference for the tourism industry, will be held September 11 – 13 at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando. Continue reading »

Today, Governor Scott signed the 2013-2014 state budget.  In a press release sent to media this afternoon, VISIT FLORIDA and several key tourism industry leaders voiced support for its inclusion of increased tourism marketing funding.

Will Seccombe, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA

“With the substantial increase in VISIT FLORIDA funding, Florida tourism is extremely well positioned to build on two consecutive years of record visitation and job creation.  I would like to thank Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature for their visionary leadership and for their extraordinary support of VISIT FLORIDA and the state’s tourism industry,” said Will Seccombe, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. Continue reading »

This week, Florida joins the rest of the nation in celebrating the importance of tourism during the annual National Travel & Tourism Week.  Held the first full week in May each year since 1984, tourism entities across America hold rallies, awards luncheons and other activities to help spotlight the power of travel. Continue reading »