June 16, 2017

As Magical Dining Grows, So Does Our Goodwill

I'm delighted to share some exciting news that, due to the ever-growing success of Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month, this year we will be able to support not one, but two, of Orlando's wonderful charities. We are happy to announce that this year's two recipients will be Freedom Ride, an organization offering therapeutic horseback riding programs for children and adults, and BASE Camp Children's Cancer Foundation, which provides support to kids and their families living with the life-threatening illness.

During our Magical Dining program, our local restaurant members donate $1 from each meal served and last year the program raised a record $195,125 for the Russell Home for Atypical Children.

Along with our sponsor, American Express, we look forward to kicking off this year's Magical Dining Month which runs from Aug. 25 - Oct. 1. Not only does this program showcase our award-winning chefs and their creativity, it also provides an opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy many of the culinary creations Orlando has to offer - all while dining for a cause.

We are already receiving lots of interest from consumers wanting to know which restaurants are participating, and what the menus will be. Stay tuned to Tourism Matters for the latest updates so you can make your own plans in advance - and take advantage of our destination's incredible dining experiences at a great value!

-George Aguel

"Orlando Matters" Talks Tourism

Recently, Visit Orlando President & CEO George Aguel sat down with Fox 35 anchor, Ryan Elijah, to discuss tourism trends and the impact of our industry on Central Florida. Look for their conversations to air June 17 on My65's Saturday morning program "Orlando Matters" at 7 a.m.

Orlando: 'Best Summer Weekend Getaway'

The PR team worked with Reader's Digest online (2 million unique monthly visitors) to highlight Orlando as one of "15 Best Summer Weekend Getaways You'll Want to Book This Second." Reader's Digest also shared this on their social channels, generating an incremental 3.1 million impressions.

Azul Magazine Touts Winter Park

The April issue of Azul Magazine, the monthly in-flight magazine from Azul Airlines, featured a three-page spread highlighting Winter Park as a must-see hotspot. The spread captured Winter Park's traditional charm, featuring scenic boat tours and events at Central Park, places such as the Morse Museum and Williams-Sonoma, and locally renowned eateries in the area.

Orlando Featured in Brazil Newspaper

Brazilian national media outlet, Estado de São Paulo, created several video and print stories on Orlando's newest offerings. Each video will be released weekly on the outlet's website (43.6 million unique monthly visitors) and the story will be published in the print newspaper, reaching an audience of 268,241 consumers. The coverage will also be promoted on the media's social channels to an additional 4 million followers.

InfoComm Converges on Orlando

InfoComm International®, the trade association representing professional audiovisual and information communications industries worldwide, brought more than 35,000 attendees to the Orange County Convention Center, June 14 - 16. They offered support for the Orlando community with a lighting memorial on the OCCC building in honor of the Pulse tragedy, and also will return to Orlando every other year through 2025.

Pictured from left to right: Fred Shea, Visit Orlando; Allison Konczyk, Exposition Operations Manager, Infocomm; Yulita Osuba, Kris Shoemaker, and Rodney Gutierrez, OCCC; Jason McGraw, Sr. Vice President of Expositions, InfoComm

Orlando Mayor Receives Spotlight Award

Visit Orlando joins the community in congratulating City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on receiving Orlando Economic Partnership's John Young Spotlight Award on June 6 at the Orlando Museum of Art in Loch Haven Park. The John Young Spotlight Award honors a person or group that has directed national or international attention to Central Florida. Mayor Dyer was recognized for his leadership among many items, specifically as he united our community during last June's Pulse shooting tragedy.

Pictured from left to right: Orlando Economic Partnership's new President and CEO, Tim Giuliani, City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and Jacob V. Stuart

Canadian Travel Magazine Highlights Orlando

The PR team generated coverage in Canada's top travel magazine, Dreamscapes (277,000 impressions). The story focuses on family-friendly activities in Orlando, including theme park attractions, as well as lesser known areas like Winter Park.

Leading Beauty Show a Success

More than 57,000 attendees from 44 countries participated in the Premiere Beauty Show 2017 at the Orange County Convention Center. The leading beauty show, which will return to Orlando through 2022, brings together a variety of industry professionals from cosmetologists and estheticians to massage therapists and spa owners.

Members Network with Meeting Professionals

Visit Orlando, along with 19 member companies, conducted a highly successful sales mission, attracting 69 meeting professionals from the New York and New Jersey area.

10 Things to Do with Dad

Father's Day is right around the corner and, to capitalize on this family-friendly holiday, Visit Orlando compiled a list of Father's Day activities perfect for all types of Dads and their families, from thrill-seekers and theme park fanatics to foodies and nature-lovers.

At the Center

Coming Together for Orlando United

The Orange County Convention Center, Orange County Regional History Center and The Orlando Eye were lit in rainbow colors as the community came together for Orlando United Day | A Day of Love and Kindness.

New Figure Coming to Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds Orlando announced the arrival of a new Justin Bieber wax figure at the attraction this month. The new figure will be on display on June 21, which also coincides with National Selfie Day.

#LoveOrlando

Visit Orlando joined the community to spread love, kindness, acceptance and hospitality in memory of those lost in the Pulse tragedy; sharing positive messages of support from people around the world.

Mango's Announces Summer Concert Series

Summer is heating up in Central Florida as one of International Drive's hottest destinations in nightlife and entertainment welcomes the biggest names in Latin music to their stage with the 2017 Mango's Summer Concert Series.

New Study: Global Tourism and Jobs

According to a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the global Travel & Tourism sector directly sustains twice as many jobs as the financial sector, and five times as many jobs as the chemicals manufacturing sector.

New Airlines Join TSA PreCheck

Seven more airlines have joined the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program, bringing the total to 37 airlines now participating in the expedited screening process.

Bleisure Travel Expected to Increase

In the past year, more than a third of North American business travelers extended a work trip into a leisure trip, according to a survey by the Global Business Travel Association.

CDC Zika Information

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), its most current data available at the time of this writing (for the period of Jan. 1 - June 14, 2017) indicate that 1 locally acquired case has been reported in the United States, while 135 travel-associated cases have been reported. For the most current information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC's Zika page.