June 2, 2017

A Strong Start to Summer

Memorial Day weekend marked the unofficial start to the busy summer season, and this year did not disappoint with the openings of Universal Orlando Resort's Volcano Bay and World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom, plus the convergence of more than 70,000 super hero fans for MegaCon at the Orange County Convention Center.
 
This strong start points to a promising summer for Orlando, which Marriott International further reinforced in its first-ever Summer Travel Trends Report. The report cited Orlando as one of the top U.S. destinations for the summer based on consumer searches.
 
We're also being recognized for not only what we offer visitors, but also our residents. Financial website WalletHub surveyed 150 metro areas, and ranked Orlando the no. 1 city in the United States for a staycation, noting our wide variety of entertainment options at a great price point, nightlife and affordable dining, as well as the fact that we have the most amusement parks, public golf courses and spas per capita. It's good news when other reliable sources identify our destination as the place to spend your vacation dollars, which supports so much of what we enjoy in our community.
 
Here's to a great summer for us all!

-George Aguel

New Super Dads Campaign Extends Spring Efforts

Visit Orlando has launched its new "Super Days for Super Dads" campaign. Visit Orlando is working with eight radio stations in seven key domestic markets to create media exposure that generates excitement and intent to visit Orlando. The campaign provides an opportunity for individuals to recognize special Dads to enter to win a trip to Orlando.

Orlando Featured on Fox News 

Visit Orlando generated coverage on FoxNews.com (28 million UMV) about Orlando being named AAA's top Memorial Day destination. The article also highlights what's new this summer and Orlando's emerging dining scene.

Orlando Highlighted on 25 U.K. Radio Stations

More than 3 million listeners tuned in to a series of live and pre-recorded radio interviews conducted May 26, which aired across 25 stations on U.K. BBC Radio. The segments featured interviews with Lisa Minot, travel editor for The Sun newspaper, and focused on how families can build long-lasting memories in Orlando, while also finding value in their experiences and saving money.

Efforts Result in Canadian Coverage

Visit Orlando's Public Relations Team assisted with two stories recently published by Canadian media outlets. A story in Ottawa Life Magazine (circ. 100,000) highlighting the theme parks alongside smaller attractions and dining options, says Orlando is "a vibrant city" with "a lot more to do" than Disney. And MoneyWeHave.com, one of Canada's most trusted sources when it comes to money and travel, published "Orlando for First Timers." The story gives practical advice for first-time visitors, while highlighting Orlando's appeal to families and adults, value and relaxation.

Destination Orientation Prospects New Business

Visit Orlando's Business Development Team welcomed new business prospects for a Destination Orientation experience May 18-21. Participants from corporate, association, sports and specialty markets were able to learn more about Orlando through 23 hotel and unique offsite venue tours. Companies represented included American Probation and Parole Belden, Claims Prevention and Procedure Council, Habitat for Humanity International, International Bullying Prevention, MAFO, National Association of Housing Cooperative, National BDPA, ClubCorp, Rev360 Road Runners Club of America, Waterstone Mortgage and Youth for Christ.

U.K. Influencers: Nearly 500K Views for Orlando

Visit Orlando's Publicity Team worked with a group of U.K. YouTube stars and influencers to showcase the Orlando destination, activities and restaurants in early May. Their social media posts and YouTube coverage have generated  more than 454,000 views to date.

Delegation Targets Key German Tour Operators

To sell Orlando in a market driven by travel trade bookings, and also celebrating new airline service to the destination, Visit Orlando led a member delegation targeting German trade operators in May. Seventy percent of German consumers book trips through a travel professional or tour operator, and airberlin and Eurowings begin new service to Orlando this year. The delegation conducted in-house trainings, product meetings and business development events with key German tour operators including America Unlimited, TUI Germany, Thomas Cook Germany/Neckermann Reisen, DER Touristik and FTI Touristik.

Inaugural airberlin Flight Brings Travel Trade Group

An airberlin Netherlands delegation arrived on airberlin's inaugural flight to Orlando May 6 to gain knowledge on how to best sell the destination. Now providing direct service to Orlando from Dusseldorf, airberlin is offering a summer schedule of five weekly flights to Orlando. And, this winter, the flights will increase to daily.

Orlando's Message Reaches Argentina & Chile

Visit Orlando led 13 members, as well as LATAM Airlines, in the Southern Cone Sales Mission May 8-12 with events in Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Argentina, and Santiago de Chile. The mission included destination training sessions that reached upwards of 450 travel professionals on how to sell Orlando as well as one-on-one sales calls with key Argentine and Chilean travel leaders.

Pictured: Participants in the Destination Training event held at the Sheraton Cordoba - Argentina.

Travel Trade Training at ARLAG 2017

Visit Orlando participated at the ARLAG (Associates Representatives of Airlines of Guadalajara) 2017 travel industry tradeshow held in Guadalajara May 11-13. At the event, the team contacted nearly 1,000 travel professionals and conducted a destination-training event for 80 travel industry representatives.

At the Center

Orlando Among Most Searched for July 4

Orlando is among the top five most-searched destinations by Americans for the July 4 holiday, according to Marriott International's inaugural U.S. Summer Travel Trends Report 2017.

ProBowl 2018 to Return to Orlando

Following the success of its first year in Orlando, the Pro Bowl will return to Camping World Stadium on Jan. 28, the NFL announced last Wednesday. The game will air for the first time on both broadcast and cable networks, expanding the visibility of our destination.

Omni Orlando Opens First Wave Pool

Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate opened Orlando's only resort wave pool last week. The addition complements the resort's 850-foot lazy river and multiple swimming pools.

WalletHub: Orlando No. 1 for "Staycations"

Orlando ranked as the best city for a "staycation" in WalletHub's 2017 Best & Worst Cities for Staycations list. The list is based on comparison of the150 largest cities and 36 key indicators.

Xenia Hotels Acquires Grand Cypress

Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has announced its acquisition of the 815-key Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress from an affiliate of Hyatt Hotels Corporation for a purchase price of $205.5 million, or approximately $252,000 per unit.

Allegiant Supports US Military With Free Service

Allegiant has announced Allegiant Honors - a special program to support and thank U.S. active duty and retired military for their service with select free services.

Many U.S. Summer Travelers City Bound

Americans are interested in more than just beach vacations this summer, showing a preference for iconic U.S. cites as well as family-friendly destinations, according to a report from Marriott International.

TSA's PreCheck Adds 7 Airlines

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.

Guests Demand Mobility & WiFi From Hotels

Consumer research reveals that the majority of prospective hotel guests actually make booking decisions based on if the hotel offers free WiFi (91 percent) and if the hotel boasts high-tech features in the guestroom (56 percent).

This Summer's Travelers More Willing to Spend

Both leisure- and corporate-heavy hotels are gearing up for summer, but this season comes with a stronger economy than most, reasonable gas prices and more confident travelers.

JetBlue to Test Facial Recognition Tech

JetBlue has announced it will be the first airline to integrate with U.S. Customs and Boarder Patrol to use biometrics and facial recognition technology to verify customers at the gate during boarding.

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, 2015-May 31, 2017) indicate that 224 locally acquired cases have been reported in the United States, while 5,013 travel-associated cases have been reported. For the most current information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC's Zika page.