Feb. 10, 2017

No Winter Blues Here!

With this time of year's ideal weather, fewer crowds and many events, February is known by insiders as one of the best times to visit Orlando. I am thrilled to share that we recently received national recognition for this very fact from the well-respected Travel & Leisure magazine, as Orlando was named as a "Best Place to Travel in February" this month!
 
As if our 80-degree temperatures and sunshine weren't enough, our destination also continues to grow the number of special events we offer visitors this time of year. These celebrations take place all over, from the theme parks to downtown, and include activities from food festivals and colorful parades to performances by famous musical artists. This year, we welcome two exciting newcomers, the Epcot International Festival of the Arts and SeaWorld's Seven Seas Food Festival, as they join annual favorites such as Universal Orlando's Mardi Gras and the Downtown Food & Wine Fest.
 
As you will see in this issue, your Visit Orlando team is busy taking advantage of the season and all we have to offer, promoting the attributes of a winter escape to Orlando through creative marketing, public relations, social media and direct-to-consumer campaigns. 
 
Looking ahead, it appears that enthusiasm for Orlando remains strong. Hotel bookings already are pacing ahead for the first half of the year, and the destination is preparing for many new attractions and events throughout the year.

-George Aguel

Advance Booking Outlook for First Half of 2017

Hotel bookings for the first six months of 2017 are ahead of this time last year according to recent data from Travelclick. Overall bookings for the period are up 0.7 percent versus same time last year, with a notable shift between March and April. March bookings are down while April bookings are up; combined bookings for the two-month period are up nearly 4 percent. This shift in bookings is tied to Easter occurring much later this year (April 16) versus last year (March 27).

Facebook Live Demo Features Iron Chef Morimoto

This week, Visit Orlando hosted a Facebook Live demonstration featuring Iron Chef Morimoto at Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs, reaching 42K fans at this writing. During the 20-minute demo, Chef Morimoto showed fans how to properly create (including knife techniques for slicing fish) and eat sushi. Fans were also encouraged to post questions to ask the Chef during the demonstration.

Blog Promotes Spring Break Hotel Deals

Visit Orlando's recent "5 Spring Break Deals for Orlando Hotels & Resorts" blog offers visitors a variety of ways to plan their accommodations such as using VisitOrlando.com's Places to Stay search option, downloading the Visit Orlando app and exploring five spring break accommodations deals. Hotel and resort deals highlighted include The Grove Resort & Spa, Reunion Resort, Hilton Orlando, CoCo Key Hotel, and B Resort and Spa.

Canadians Wake Up to Orlando Sunshine This Week

All this week, Canadians had the opportunity to start their morning off with a little taste of Orlando as Visit Orlando partnered with Canada's national morning show "Your Morning." The show is the crown jewel of CTV Network's new morning lineup with more than 1.3 million Canadian viewers each morning. The week began with a live broadcast from Orlando on Monday and was followed by daily taped segments each day of the week. Show host and popular TV celebrity Melissa Grelo showcased the Orlando destination beyond the theme parks as she explored dining, shopping, eco adventures and so much more. Visits included K's Restaurant, The Mall at Millenia, Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, Wild Florida Airboat Rides and Winter Park's Scenic Boat Tour.

Canadian Travel Trade Receives Destination Update

The Visit Orlando Travel Industry Sales Team participated in the Maritime Travel/LeGrow's Travel Super Show on Jan. 21-22 in St. John's, Canada. LeGrow's is a leading retail agency with a total of 110 locations in Canada generating annual sales of more than $300 million. Orlando material and information was shared with 850 consumers attending the show. In addition, the team hosted a client event and conducted several destination training sessions, meetings and sales calls with TPI, CAA and LeGrow's, training 40 agents on Orlando's diverse product.

BBC Radio Highlights Unexpected Orlando

The Public Relations Team worked with Andy Mossack, the host of popular BBC Radio nighttime travel talk show "Where in the World is Andy?", on a press trip showcasing Orlando outside the theme parks. Andy experienced nature adventures such as Wild Florida Airboat Rides and Forever Florida as well as smaller attractions including I-Drive NASCAR and The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. Listen here.

Top UK Trade Outlet Publicizes Orlando Roadshow

The Visit Orlando Public Relations Team generated a full-page feature in Travel Weekly UK about the upcoming Orlando Roadshow following proactive media pitching. The Roadshow is a Visit Orlando-led initiative in partnership with Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Universal Orlando Resort and will take place in 10 cities across the United Kingdom, kicking off on March 6 in Manchester and concluding in Dublin on March 30.

Press Trip Results in Brazilian Travel Site Coverage

As a result of a Visit Orlando Public Relations Team press trip last summer, Brazilian travel website Viaje Na Viagem (1.6 million unique monthly visitors) recently published an article highlighting some of the most well-known attractions found in Orlando and Central Florida. Those mentioned include Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, Universal Studios Florida/Islands of Adventure, LEGOLAND, SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove as well as the attractions that go beyond the theme parks. "Orlando: O que Fazer" categorizes each attraction under specific themes and gives a comprehensive look into the area attractions. Readers also get the inside scoop on unique tips, tricks and guides to keep every member of the family entertained in the City Beautiful, with each activity categorized by age and personal preferences.

Orlando Seminar Presented at Visit USA Switzerland

Visit Orlando attended the Visit USA Switzerland Seminar held in Zürich last week. This is a key event for U.S. travel from Switzerland, with some 400 Swiss travel agents in attendance annually. During the course of the day-long seminar, the Travel Industry Sales Team updated the agents on Orlando news and sales tools.

This Week at the Convention Center

Disney's Pandora to Open in May

Walt Disney World Resort has announced that Pandora - The World of Avatar will open at Disney's Animal Kingdom May 27. Guests will be transported to the world of Pandora, which features floating mountains and bioluminescent plants, and the Na'vi River Journey. Disney also said its Star Wars lands will open in 2019.

Five Hotels Earn U.S. News Best Hotels Gold Badge

Out of 53 luxury Orlando-Walt Disney World hotels named in the 2017 U.S. News Best Hotels in USA Rankings, five earned a Gold badge by scoring in the top 10 percent of the Best Hotels in the USA.

Hemisphere Now Open at MCO's Hyatt Regency

Following a $3 million re-design and soft opening, the newly re-imagined Hemisphere restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport is open daily for breakfast and dinner, serving up neo-contemporary world cuisine.

Orlando Area Festivals Spring Into Action

This city has a host of spring festivals and events to entertain the entire family, including this weekend's Lakeridge Winery Festival and the upcoming Downtown Food & Wine Fest, Orlando Jazz Festival, and March's Mighty St. Patty's Day Festival and Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival.

Universal's Mardi Gras in Full Swing

Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando Resort is in full swing through March 25. In addition to the nightly parade, on 12 select nights, headliners ranging from Fifth Harmony to NE-YO will perform on the Music Plaza Stage in Universal Studios Florida.

airberlin to Add Service to Orlando

airberlin has announced it will expand its number of flights to all eight U.S. destinations to a total of 58 non-stop flights per week beginning in October, with five weekly flights from Dusseldorf to Orlando.

Family Vacations Remain a Priority

According to a recent AAA survey, more than one-third of Americans (35 percent) are planning to take a vacation of 50 miles or more away from home involving two or more immediate family members this year. The overall volume of travelers remains unchanged from last year, indicating that family travel remains a priority.

Air Travel Demand Strong in 2016

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced full-year global passenger traffic results for 2016 showing demand rose 6.3 percent compared to 2015.

Latest TTI: Domestic Travel Grows in 2016

Travel weathered an abundance of challenges and continued to grow throughout 2016, according to the U.S. Travel Association's latest Travel Trends Index (TTI). The final TTI based on 2016 data shows that travel to and within the U.S. grew 2.4 percent from December 2015, while the forecast component shows that travel will continue to expand at a moderate pace in the near term.

AARP: Most Baby Boomers to Travel in 2017

Top 2017 Boomer travel trends show that almost all will travel for leisure with about half traveling internationally, according to recent AARP travel research. Most Boomers (99%) will take at least one leisure trip in 2017, with an average of five or more trips expected throughout the year.

International Travel to U.S. Rises to 2000 Levels

International travel's share of total U.S. exports reached 11.2 percent in 2016, according to U.S. Travel Association analysis of the latest Department of Commerce data.

CDC Zika Information

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), its most current data available at the time of this publishing (Feb. 8, 2017) indicate that 220 locally acquired cases have been reported in the United States, while 4,780 travel-associated cases have been reported. For the most current information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC's Zika page.