July 22, 2016

Orlando Tops the List of Most Affordable Family Vacations

Easily accessible and boasting a wide variety of experiences, Orlando offers a vacation for every taste and every budget. In fact, Forbes Magazine has just given families more reason than ever to head to our destination by ranking Orlando at the top of the 20 Most Affordable Cities for Family Travel. To create the Forbes ranking, SmartAsset looked at the costs of a three-day/three-night trip for four people to 48 of the largest U.S. cities. Including hotel, car rental, airfare and restaurants, Orlando came in as the best vacation value in the nation.
 
From luxury escapes to budget-friendly trips, our destination offers a wide selection of vacation options that allow visitors to tailor an experience that's right for them. They can chose between the convenient access of flying or welcome back the family road trip for even greater savings given the current drop in gas prices and the ease of getting here.
 
With seven of the world's top theme parks, a host of culinary options and weather just made for a day at the waterparks, our destination remains a favorite of traveling families. In addition, the area has just welcomed a host of brand new attractions, giving visitors plenty of reasons to take that long-anticipated trip to Orlando or return again to discover what's new.

-George Aguel

The Metro Orlando occupancy rate in June was 75.5%, exceeding the state (72.0%) and national (73.1%) occupancy levels. The average daily rate in Orlando rose 1.5% to $108.47. The June occupancy rate was 3.4% lower than June of last year, and occupied room nights declined 3.0%.

July Gas Prices Lowest in 12 Years

The American Automobile Association (AAA) announced that gas prices have fallen for 35 out of 36 days, and are lower than they've ever been for July in the last 12 years. The national average price was $2.21 per gallon of regular unleaded, about 55 cents lower than a year ago. About 25 percent of the country's gas stations are offering gas under $2. The lowest gas prices in the country are in South Carolina at just $1.88 while California still holds the title of highest prices at $2.85.

George Aguel Welcomes World Domino Championship Tournament

More than 1,200 competitors from around the globe, from places as far away as Russia, descended on Orlando for the 13th World Domino Championship taking place at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort July 17-24. The week of activities and competitions will be filmed within a one-hour show that will air internationally on Univision. Visit Orlando formed a partnership with the organizers and producers in an effort to showcase the breadth and depth of the destination throughout the broadcast. Shown above, from left: Visit Orlando President & CEO George Aguel with Domino USA President Manuel Oquendo during the opening reception Wednesday evening.

Partnership Lands NatGeo China Press Trip

Visit Orlando has secured a China press trip in partnership with Visit Florida. Two journalists from National Geographic China will cover Orlando's attractions, dining and hotels during their visit, July 30-Aug. 2. Coverage in the publication has the potential for nearly 5.7 million impressions.

Seeking Volunteers for SYTA Conference

As a host of the 20th annual SYTA Conference at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Aug. 18-23, Visit Orlando is seeking community volunteers to fill more than 240 shifts to assist during the conference. Available opportunities include assisting with greeting, hospitality, transportation, registration, events and sightseeing tours, to name a few. Click here to review the volunteer shifts or to begin your registration now.

This year's conference - hosted by Visit Orlando in conjunction with SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort - is poised to welcome 1,000-plus participants, including student tour operators, group travel planners, destination marketing organizations and suppliers. The SYTA organization has played an instrumental role in advancing the student and youth travel industry globally.

FTI Touristik & Visit Orlando Launch
Online Travel Agent Training Program

On July 15, Visit Orlando, in partnership with FTI Touristik in Germany and Austria, launched the FTI Academy, an online travel agent training program. The six-month program features two courses: The first course gives an overview of the Orlando area and the second concentrates on the area's attractions. Participating agents are encouraged to further extend their knowledge of Orlando by also completing the Orlando Travel Academy, where another sweepstakes element is included. At the end of the training, an Orlando stay will be awarded as the grand prize. Between 1,500 to 2,000 travel agents are expected to complete the program.

Travel Trade Incentive Program Begins in China

The Visit Orlando China team is partnering with Tourico Holidays to increase sales to Orlando. The program features special Orlando discounted deals designed to encourage bookings via the travel trade through the end of the year. Details of the program were shared with more than 50 clients in attendance at the launch event in Shanghai on July 19.

Visit Orlando Connects With Industry at CEMA

Visit Orlando's National Accounts Director Joseph Kempa attended the 26th Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) Summit 2016 held in Newport Beach, California, July 17-19. This event is the premier peer-to-peer annual event for leading event marketers and agency executives across industries to engage in keynote presentations and interactive panel discussions to address today's ever-changing marketing mix. Meeting planners with major technology corporations from across the United States comprised 70 percent of the 300 attendees.

Make Magical Dining Reservations Online Now & Benefit Russell Home for Atypical Children

OrlandoMagicalDining.com, the website for Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month sponsored by American Express, is now live. Sample some of the Orlando areas finest and most talked about restaurants - each offering special three-course menus for $33 available Aug. 29-Oct. 2, 2016. With so many great options and the increasing popularity of the program, make your reservations now on OrlandoMagicalDining.com. One dollar from each meal will benefit the Russell Home for Atypical Children. Last year, Magical Dining raised $160,725 for charity Elevate Orlando.

Habitar Spotlights Winter Park's Morse Museum

As a result of a Visit Orlando-hosted press trip in May, Habitar (circ. 71,000), a Colombian magazine dedicated to architecture, design and decoration, recently published an article about The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. The four-page feature shows off Tiffany's top works, including lamps and glass art, and narrates the history of the Tiffany collection and how the museum came to be in Winter Park, Florida.

Mexican Media Highlight Orlando

Visit Orlando teamed up with Visit Florida earlier this year to bring a group of Mexican journalists for a tour of Florida, with Orlando being one the main stops. Milenio (circ: 104,000), one of the biggest Mexican newspapers in the country, published two articles about some of the must-see attractions in Central Florida. Among the places mentioned in the first article are SeaWorld parks, Walt Disney World, I-Drive 360 attractions, Mall at Millenia, and Winter Park's The Wine Room. Additionally, Mama y Bebe Magazine published a section featuring baby- and toddler-friendly places to visit while vacationing in Orlando. Among those mentioned include Crayola Experience, LEGOLAND Florida and Sea Life Orlando Aquarium.

Travel Industry Sales Shares Orlando Updates

Visit Orlando's Travel Industry Sales team recently visited the Tourico Holidays office, a leading global travel distribution company headquartered in Altamonte Springs. Representatives from their global sales, marketing and product teams received an update on plans for Orlando-area tourism and community projects, as well as a preview of Visit Orlando's upcoming trade activities in international markets.

Am Ex's MeetingsExpert.com Holds First Summit

Visit Orlando's Intermediary Accounts Director Ken Barnett attended the first Partner Summit last week in South Florida to network with the newly formed MeetingsExpert.com sourcing team, a division of American Express Meetings and Events. This two-day event brought together regional suppliers to meet the team, learn about business opportunities and how the Meetings Expert associates can grow their own business. Shown above with the American Express Meetings and Events executive team from left are: Stephanie Harris, director of Marketing and Communication; Alex Contreras, director of Platforms & Strategy; Ken Barnett, Visit Orlando; Christina Wilkes, director of Supplier Enablement; Jennifer Nelson, director of Business Development - Meetings Expert; and Issa Jouaneh, senior vice president and general manager of Meetings and Events.

Next Week at the Convention Center

Record-Breaking MCO Passenger Traffic Continues

Passenger traffic at Orlando International Airport (MCO) continues to break records, according to Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) press release. May stats indicate the total number of people traveling through MCO during a 12-month period is up to nearly 40.5 million. In addition, domestic passenger traffic increased 7.9 percent and in international passenger volume increased a 15.25 percent. GOAA attributes the healthy May numbers in part to the 168,000-seat increase in capacity by the airlines and a number of sizable conventions visiting the area, including American Association of Orthodontists and MegaCon.

Frontier to Add Des Moines-MCO Service

Frontier Airlines announced Wednesday it plans to launch a three-times-a-week flight between Des Moines and the Orlando International Airport starting Oct. 30

Destination Embracing Pokémon Go Craze

Orlando's tourism industry is embracing the latest craze in app entertainment offerings. Visit Orlando's latest blog, Pokémon Go: Catch 'Em All in Orlando, gives players plenty of action to keep them on the move, including 10 PokéStops stops at area locations such as Artegon Marketplace, I-Drive 360 and Universal CityWalk.

Travel Pulse reported on SeaWorld Orlando's recent Pokémon Go lure event, making SeaWorld the first of the Orlando area theme parks to organize a major event specifically dedicated to Pokémon Go players.

Orange County OKs Plans for Two I-Drive Hotels

According to a recent Orlando Sentinel article, Orange County development leaders approved plans for the construction of two new hotels on International Drive, both to be built by the same Central Florida developer.

Tourism Supports 8.1 Million U.S. Jobs in 2015

According to the U.S. Travel Association's U.S. Travel and Tourism Overview (2015), domestic and international travelers spent $947 billion in the United States and directly supported more than 8.1 million U.S. jobs.

2015 Vacation Time Unused by 55% of Americans

American workers took slightly more vacation in 2015, up to 16.2 days from 16.0 days the year before, according to new research from Project: Time Off. But the meager increase comes as workers received an additional day (21.9 days on average), but used a lower share of vacation time than in 2014.

United Teams Up With TSA to Improve Screening

United Airlines has become the latest big U.S. carrier to say it's teaming up with the Transportation Security Administration to speed up the screening process.

International Travel Remains Priority for Chinese

The fifth annual Chinese International Travel Monitor released by Hotels.com^®, has revealed 92 percent of Chinese travelers plan to increase or maintain spending and one-third of them plan to spend more on travel in the coming year - despite the slowing economy. Additionally, some 120 million Chinese traveled overseas in 2015, up from 117 million in 2014.

2016 International Tourism Growth Continues

This year started on a strong note for international tourism. International tourist arrivals grew by 5 percent between January and April 2016, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Results were robust across almost all subregions and many destinations reported double-digit growth. Prospects for the May-August period remain positive, with around 500 million tourists expected to travel abroad in the Northern Hemisphere summer holiday peak season.

CDC Zika Information

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), its most current data available July 20, 2016) indicate that zero (0) locally acquired cases have been reported in the United States, while 1,403 travel-associated cases have been reported. For the most current information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC's Zika page.