July 8, 2016

The Nation's Best City for Recreation

It's no secret Orlando is rich in theme parks and family-friendly attractions but our destination also has a number of other local treasures that give visitors a reason to extend their stays and return again and again. As we celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month this July, Orlando has just been named the Best City for Recreation in the U.S. by the personal-finance website WalletHub. The site compared the 100 largest cities on everything from area parks to the cost of a movie ticket. Not only does this top ranking put our destination in an advantageous position with vacationers seeking budget-friendly trips, it's also a bonus for those interested in fitness, leisure activities and eco-conscious travel.

As tourism in Orlando continues to grow so does interest in our Central Florida ecotourism activities like springs and parks, trails and camping areas. With natural and active attractions like Rock Springs Run, the downtown Orlando Bike Share and the West Orange Trail located right here in our backyard, there are multiple reasons for vacationers to get outside and explore these offerings.

With this latest award in a string of others we've been receiving, it comes as no surprise that Orlando remains a leading destination of choice for family and leisure travel.

-George Aguel

Orange County TDT Collections Rise in May

Collections of Orange County's Tourist Development Tax totaled nearly $18.6 million, 4.4% higher than May of last year. Year-to-date through May collections have surpassed $106 million, 4.1% higher than the same period in 2015. The tax is a 6% charge on short-term rentals, mostly hotels and motels. The year-to-date growth in tax collections has been supported by a 5% increase in the average daily rate for hotels and motels in Orange County, while occupied room nights (aka demand) have dropped nearly 1%.

Ten Orlando Theme Parks Voted Favorites
by TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, has named its 2016 Travelers Choice list of top-rated theme parks in the U.S. Voters named ten of Orlando's theme parks among their top choices, further validating that our destination is the theme park capital among travelers. Orlando's water parks were also named as traveler's top choice to make a vacation splash. Read about it here.

Social Media Influencers See What's New and Exciting in Orlando

Visit Orlando recently partnered with Visit Florida in hosting a domestic press trip for five media outlets, totaling a potential audience of 905,000: Travel with Bender, Travel Mamas, Mommy's Slice of the Pie, Hippie in Heels and We3Travel. On their tour of Florida, the journalists visited Orlando attractions, accommodations and dining, including properties such as: The B Resort and Spa, Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, Artegon marketplace, I-Drive 360 and Tapa Toro.

Local Press Garnered for Orlando!

El Sentinel (circ. 148,500; online: 121,100) the Spanish version of the Orlando Sentinel, published a cover story and online story about Orlando locals vacationing in the City Beautiful. Visit Orlando provided information about the benefits of "staycationing", including the never-ending attraction openings, contributions to the local tourism economy and money-saving locals-only deals. The article came about after WalletHub named Orlando No. 1 of the top 150 cities to staycation.

Eight Pages Dedicated to Orlando
in Key Brazilian Magazine

Viaje Mais (circ. 50,000), a popular consumer tourism publication in Brazil, highlighted some of Orlando's most talked-about summer additions in an 8-page spread for their June edition. The article includes highlights of various upcoming attractions, including the new Reign of Kong ride at Universal Studios, the exciting Mako coaster at SeaWorld, the newly constructed Town Center inside Disney Springs and more. The story was a result of a group media trip hosted by Visit Orlando.

Revista São Paulo, a weekly supplement of Folha de São Paulo newspaper (circ. 333,000; online 33 million), recently published a story about summer vacations, highlighting Orlando as the most visited destination with 66 million visitors. The journalist, who joined last year's IPW in Orlando, wrote about popular area attractions such as Gatorland, Orlando Balloon Rides and Revolution Off-Road. The article also featured some of Orlando's newest theme park attractions, including Sea World's Mako, Animal Kingdom's Rivers of Light and more.

Successful Meetings Magazine Awards Visit Orlando the Pinnacle

For the 22nd year, Visit Orlando has been recognized by readers of Successful Meetings magazine as the Pinnacle One winner, in the "Best CVB/DMO in the Southeast Region." Presented annually by the Northstar Meetings Group's Successful Meetings brand, the Pinnacle Awards are voted on by decision makers planning meetings, events, conferences and incentive programs in the US and worldwide. The Pinnacle Awards have earned a reputation over their 30-year history as the most credible and valued symbol of excellence among meeting professionals and travel suppliers alike.

Orlando Executives Appointed to Travel and Tourism Advisory Board

Visit Orlando's President and CEO George Aguel has been appointed to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Aguel's appointment demonstrates the importance of Orlando as an international tourism driver for the United States. "I look forward to working with the new Board as we continue our efforts in promoting growth and creating jobs in the industry," said Pritzger. John Sprouls, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Universal Parks and Resorts was reappointed to the board.

George Aguel Named to Annual List of Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry

Successful Meetings, one of the top meetings magazines, has named George Aguel one of the most influential people in the meetings industry. The list of luminaries has been chosen due either to their contributions to the meetings business or because they made it easier for meetings professionals to do their job or helped raise awareness of the industry. Aguel started in the meetings industry with the Gaylord/Opryland in Nashville and after that spent 23 years at Disney. Read more here.

Orlando's Downtown Lake Eola Gets Shout Out

Viaje na Viagem (1.6 million unique monthly visitors) published a story about Lake Eola featuring several of the park's permanent attractions, such as the Confederate Monument, Battle of the Bulge, Linton E. Allen Memorial, Discovery Muse, Walt Disney Amphitheater and the weekly Farmer's Market. Additionally, the digital site published another article about the Crayola Experience at the Florida Mall. The online article highlighted some of the exciting activities for children and parents alike.

Lufthansa Sun Destination and Visit Orlando
Team Up for Roadshow in Germany

Visit Orlando trained 360 German Travel Agents as part of the Lufthansa Sun Destination Roadshow in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Düsseldorf, Germany. Alongside destinations such as Mexico, Kenya and Mauritius, the three-day event provided the opportunity for Visit Orlando to conduct on-stage presentations and individual meetings with travel agents. Visit Orlando also provided the grand prize package in Hamburg.

British Airways Client Dinner

The Visit Orlando UK team hosted a dinner for seven key partners from both British Airways and British Airways Holidays at City Social, Tower 42 in London to thank them for their ongoing support for Orlando. Our clients enjoyed dinner in a private dining room with stunning views across the city as night fell.

Newest Visit Orlando Blog Gives UK Readers Money Saving Tips

Visit Orlando tapped UK financial journalist and blogger Kalpana Fitzpatrick to share money-saving tips to help our UK travelers. Read more here.

British Airways Features Orlando Promotion

The 8,700-member British Airways Speedbird Club in Germany and Austria teamed up with Visit Orlando for an Orlando promotion from June 1 - July 4, 2016. Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and Alamo provided a week-long prize package. WorldQuest Orlando is the hotel sponsor for the Orlando overnights.

Next Week at the Convention Center

Food Halls to Bring New Dining Option to Orlando

Shopping mecca Artegon Marketplace is hoping to open the region's first food hall, called Eat Street, in the second quarter of 2017 which will include 15 small restaurants. Local chef Clayton Miller is working on a hybrid food hall and full-service restaurant at Maitland City Center, north of downtown Orlando. And developers of the downtown Orlando Creative Village project are formulating a plan for a food hall near the University of Central Florida Downtown campus.

Disney Springs Town Center Opens Arts and
Crafts Store

The Town Center at Disney Springs is home to a new arts, craft and home-goods store - Sugarboo & Co. Items for sale include wall art, antique signs, paper products, pillows, candle and bath products.

Loews Stars of Hope Shows Support

Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando partnered with Stars of HOPE (starsofhopeusa.org) to show their support for the victims and survivors of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. Team members from Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and the Lakewood central support facility hand-painted heartfelt messages onto more than 1,000 stars that were then delivered around Orlando. From the nightclub to Orlando Regional Medical Center, the 911 call center, LGBT Center and Zebra Coalition, team members and volunteers came together to show their support and solidarity as part of the hotels' #OrlandoStrong Good Neighbor events.

Orlando's Motorcycle Community Comes Together for Pulse
 
EagleRider Motorcycles Orlando hosted a "One Heart, One 'Pulse'" event on June 2. More than 500 people participated, including a ride of 300 bikers, raising $9,000 for the victims, families and first responders.

Group Meeting Trends Offered on CVENT Site

CVENT launched Group Business Trends by Cvent microsite, a free, interactive online tool that pulls together data culled from over $30 billion worth of meetings business sourced through the Cvent event management platform since 2012. The available data includes: average hotel group rates for different hotel price tiers; group sales behavior; planner breakdowns by geographic location; and volume of requests for proposal (RFPs) for different types of meetings and events in different geographic locations, including Orlando, named by Cvent as the number one meetings destination in the country.

Choice Hotels Examines Americans' Summer
Travel Habits

According to Choice Hotels International's annual summer travel survey, more than four in 10 Americans have hotel loyalty points stashed up that they can't even use, reports TravelPulse's Patrick Clarke. The survey also sheds light on other summer travel habits. More than 60 percent of travelers said that loyalty programs and points influence their vacation decisions in terms of choosing a destination and as many as 57 percent say they hold onto their hotel loyalty points over the course of the year so they can put them toward a summer getaway.

Most Travelers Satisfied With Business Trips According to Survey

The First-Ever Global Business Traveler Sentiment Index™ from the GBTA Foundation provides a snapshot of the attitudes and experiences of business travelers about what is working and what isn't when it comes to travel. This will help travel providers address areas of concern and help attract and retain loyalty from their customers.

CDC Zika Information

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), its most current data available (July 6, 2016) indicate that zero (0) locally acquired cases have been reported in the United States, while 1,132 travel-associated cases have been reported. For the most current information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC's Zika page.