May 5, 2017

Join Us for News & Insights on Orlando Tourism

Next week is National Travel and Tourism Week and Visit Orlando is marking the occasion with our annual Celebrating Travel & Tourism Luncheon full of news, expert insight and announcements.
 
Join close to 1,000 industry and community leaders for an exciting tourism announcement and a very special "thank you" to those visitors who made 2016 an unprecedented year for our destination.
 
It's also a chance for you to hear from industry visionary Gerard J. Inzerillo, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. With more than five decades at the helm of some of the world's leading hospitality and entertainment companies, this trend-maker has helped brand icons from celebrities to legendary hotel chains. Throughout his illustrious career, he has championed the success of luxury brands and excelled at creating innovative new market opportunities across the globe.
 
Prior to the luncheon, we'll have an open-dialogue Learning Lab where we will discuss the top meeting trends for 2017. Led by Vincent Alonzo, editor-in-chief of Northstar Meetings Group, the informative session will cover emerging technologies, safety and security, the power of data collection and much more.
 
It's an event you won't want to miss. Make your plans to join us on Thursday, May 11 at the Hilton Orlando, register today!

-George Aguel

Orlando Tourism Sees Widespread Growth in Q1 2017

The first quarter of 2017 was a period of moderate but widespread growth in Orlando's tourism industry. The hotel industry experienced growth across all key metrics: the occupancy rate rose nearly 1 percent to 81.4 percent, occupied room nights also rose nearly 1 percent, and the average daily rate rose 3 percent. Growth in the lodging industry pushed up collections of the Orange County Tourist Development Tax by 3.9 percent. Overall attendance at the Orange County Convention Center was up 2.6 percent in Q1, and total passenger traffic at Orlando International Airport was up 2.9 percent. Growth in the industry translates to job growth; Leisure and Hospitality employment in the Orlando MSA was 4.8 percent higher in March versus prior year, following a 6.1 percent increase in February.
 
Early indications suggest the second quarter started very strongly. Due to the later date of Easter relative to 2016, hotel occupancy rates posted strong year-over-year growth in the first two weeks of April, exceeding 90 percent both weeks. And the Orange County Convention Center more than doubled the attendance from last April.

U.K. Campaigns to Drive Summer Bookings

Visit Orlando is participating in destination campaigns in the United Kingdom with an estimated reach of more than 25 million to further drive bookings for this summer as well as forward bookings for 2018. Co-op partners for this summer's push include Thomson, Ocean Florida and My America Holidays.

Blogs Now Available in Portuguese & Spanish

Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking consumers can now search and share the latest Orlando news and highlights in their respective languages on the new Visit Orlando blogs. The blogs are easily accessed through VisitOrlando.com's dedicated country landing pages under the "Novidades"/ "Novedades" navigator.

Radio Stations Tune Into Orlando

Radio stations from around the globe descended upon Orlando this week, participating in Visit Orlando's radio-broadcast event. The initiative is projected to generate more than 50 million impressions and encourage destination summer visitation. Stations from the United Kingdom, Brazil, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa and West Palm Beach broadcast their entire morning shows each day from the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek while showcasing the breadth and depth of the destination along with all that is new this summer. 

Brazilian Media Focus on Orlando's Family Fun

As a result of Visit Orlando publicity, Brazilian media outlets with a combined circulation of more than 9 million (O Globo, Qual Viagem, Viagem Livre  and Crescer Magazine) published multiple articles highlighting Orlando's family-friendly attractions and activities.

Visit Orlando Receives 2017 Award of Excellence

Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine has recognized Visit Orlando for the 22^nd time with its 2017 Award of Excellence. The annual award recognizes those hotels, resorts, conference centers and convention and visitors bureaus (CVB) that have demonstrated their overall commitment to excellence. 

Luxury Magazine Highlights Healthy Orlando

Visit Orlando's Public Relations Team assisted DuJour Magazine online, a luxury publication (50,000 UMV), with a story about wellness and relaxation. The article showcases Orlando's "patchwork of historic neighborhoods, each more charming than the next and all surprisingly full of independent shops and restaurants," alongside outdoor activities for visitors looking to further their physical fitness, such as lessons at USTA or paddleboarding.

Blog Promotes Activities for Toddlers

A recent Visit Orlando blog highlights some of the destination's fun and educational activities designed especially for toddlers, promoting May as a great time for families to visit Orlando to take advantage of lighter crowds while the older kids are in school. 

Brazilian Campaign Keeps Orlando Top of Mind

To keep Orlando top of mind and connect with Brazilian consumers during their travel planning, Visit Orlando has launched its Brazilian campaign, which is estimated to generate approximately 200 million impressions. In a recent study conducted by Visit Orlando, Brazilian families continue to be fascinated with Orlando as a vacation destination. The integrated campaign elements include national paid TV, print, online videos, digital display, social media advertising and search engine marketing.

At the Center

This Year's Epcot Food & Wine Fest to Expand

The 22nd annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Aug. 31-Nov. 13, is expanding to 75 days, 13 more than last year. And to celebrate the park's opening 35 years ago, there will be a record 35 Marketplaces.

Universal to Hire 2,000 More

On the heels of hiring more than 1,700 new team members to support the opening of its new water theme park, Volcano Bay, Universal Orlando Resort has announced it will hire more than 2,000 new employees for full-time, part-time and seasonal positions.

Ace Café Orlando Announces Opening

Ace Cafe Orlando has announced that it will open on May 19 at 7 a.m. The 35,000-square-foot motor-themed entertainment complex features multiple restaurant and bar spaces, a gift shop, a motorcycle dealership, a gallery and more.

Gatorland Announces New Attraction

Gatorland officially broke ground for a $2.5 million park expansion, the largest since opening in 1949. The brand-new Stompin' Gator Off-Road Adventure and Gator Joe's Adventure Outpost are slated to open fall 2017.

"Happily Ever After" Announces Debut May 12

Walt Disney World Resort is set to debut its new evening fireworks and castle projection show "Happily Ever After" at Magic Kingdom on May 12. The show, which replaces "Wishes" after its more-than-13-year run, encourages guests to pursue their dreams.

Air Canada's Rouge Adds Orlando Service

Air Canada has announced that its low-cost carrier Rouge will begin seasonal service between Vancouver and Orlando twice weekly beginning Dec. 20 through April 8.

Americans Indulging in Culinary Vacations

Food and dining are becoming a more central part of many travelers' vacation experiences. In fact, AAA's latest travel survey found that an estimated 22 million Americans expect to take a culinary-focused vacation in the next 12 months.

Biz Travel to Grow Thanks to New Tech

Business Travel sector is projected to grow by 3.7 percent per year over the next decade, according to a new report by Travelport and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Air Travel Defies Global Challenges

The latest global overview of air travel has shown that passengers from Europe, the Americas and the Far East are making more bookings and taking more flights, despite recent terrorist attacks and on-going geo-political wrangles.

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 3, 2017) indicate that 224 locally acquired cases have been reported in the United States, while 4,973 travel-associated cases have been reported. For the most current information about the Zika virus, visit the CDC's Zika page.