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Special Edition: Orlando United

June 28, 2016

Dear Members and Community Partners,

In the midst of tragedy, our amazing tourism partners have shown - and received - such strength and compassion, and all of us at Visit Orlando are so proud to be part of this community.

Many of our members have provided special resources to respond to and help those affected by this tragic event. And, likewise, the world has shown their support for Orlando - both as a community and as their beloved vacation destination.

We have received an outpouring of comments on the Visit Orlando social media channels from fans all over the world expressing their love and support for Orlando. And our Visit Orlando Communications team has responded to an unprecedented number of inquiries from global media regarding how our industry may have been impacted and the safety measures our region has in place. On behalf of our tourism community, we have been sharing unified messages of appreciation, reassurance of our destination's commitment to safety, and confidence in the future.

As our community continues to move forward, we thought we would dedicate this special issue of Tourism Matters to some of the many examples of the spirit of solidarity we have all seen these past few weeks.

- The Visit Orlando Team

#OrlandoUnited
#LoveOrlando

 
Vigil at Lake Eola   Member Tribute
     
Vigil at Lake Eola   Imagine Dragons
     
More than 50,000 gathered at Lake Eola Park for a candlelight vigil on June 19th. Many wrote notes of condolence on banners for the victims and supporting words for the community. (Photo credit: Preston Mack)
  Concerts all over the city were put on to benefit victims, including Imagine Dragons performing at the ALL IS ONE Orlando Unity Concert at Hard Rock Live Orlando, June 22. One-hundred percent of ticket sales from the concert were donated to the OneOrlando Fund, providing support for victims and survivors, their families and various communities affected by the recent Orlando tragedy. (Photo by Dan Higgins for Hard Rock International)
     
 
Orlando City Soccer Game   Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Vigil
     
Orlando City SC   Hispanic Chamber
     
A crowd of 37,000 descended on Camping World Stadium to watch Orlando City Soccer and pay tribute to the victims in what was the first major sporting event in Orlando since the attack. First responders, members of Orlando Health and the owners of the Pulse nightclub were among those who posed behind a giant banner that read "#OrlandoUnited." (Photo credit: Orange County)
  The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held an Orlando vigil at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Spanish for family and community members who felt more comfortable expressing themselves in that language. Hundreds attended the event, including 10 people injured in the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
     
 
Hawaiian Tribute   Broadway Tribute
     
Hawaiian ceremony   Broadway Tribute
     
A group of men and women from the Island of Maui, Hawaii gathered at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts with a special tribute to the 49 lives lost. A 49-foot "Lei of Aloha" was crafted by more than 400 volunteers in Maui.
  Broadway's top stars came together to perform a tribute song, "What the World Needs Now is Love," which was dedicated to the victims. Watch the complete video by clicking here.
     
 
More Tributes
 
AAU Volleyball   Orlando Eye
     
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Girls' Junior National Volleyball Championships was one of the first citywide events to take place in Orlando since the recent tragic events. The event wove in a strong show of support for the Orlando destination, with many of the young athletes signing banners and signs for the community. (Photo credit: Preston Mack)
  Millions of people around the world have shown us that Orlando is loved and we have been inspired to adopt the hashtag #LoveOrlando to aggregate your thoughts and creative content on social media. We invite our fans across the world, and you our members, to use #LoveOrlando for your own favorite Orlando memories. To watch just a sample of the love we have seen, and been touched by, click here.
     
 
Tributes from Around the World
 
Tributes from Around the World   Parade in Los Angeles
     
From Paris to Toronto, historic icons around the world were lit in rainbow colors as a show of support. You can view one of the many video tributes here. (Photo credit: Twitter)
  Thousands of people lined the streets for annual gay pride parades in West Hollywood, California and around the U.S. to show support to the victims of the shooting and the Orlando community. (Photo credit: Los Angeles LGBT Center)
     
 
 
Love Orlando
 

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