February 22, 2018

Orlando: Top Spring Break Destination

-George Aguel

The new year got off to a strong start as Orlando's January hotel occupancy rose 4.8 percent. For comparison, statewide occupancy rose 2.3 percent and the national average occupancy rate rose 0.9 percent. January's occupancy rate of 78.7 percent represents an all-time high for the month in Orlando. In addition, the average daily rate in Orlando rose 8.9 percent to $135.96, also an all-time high for the month of January, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 14.1 percent.

Branding Orlando in
Toronto's Busiest Hub

Millions of Canadians will see Orlando's branding message as they commute to and from Toronto's bustling financial, cultural and corporate centers, thanks to additional signage in Brookfield Place near Union Station, Toronto's busiest transportation hub. These out-of-home initiatives are part of our first-ever fully integrated, first-quarter advertising campaign aimed at encouraging travel during March and into the summer.

Visit Orlando Hosts
Brazilian Influencers

Visit Orlando's public relations team worked with five Brazilian influencers -- with a combined reach of more than 7.5 million -- to showcase the destination through daily posts to their loyal followers across social media. During their stay, the influencers featured attractions such as Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World, Main Event, iFLY Orlando and others. Influencers included Lucas Rangel, Valentina Schulz, Ivana Coelho, Maria Suconic and actor Andre Bankoff.

Grainger Brings
13,000 Attendees

Last week, Grainger held its 2018 show at the Orange County Convention Center for the sixth consecutive year. Boasting more than 13,000 attendees -- an increase over the year prior -- Grainger is booked at the Orange County Convention Center through 2026.

Orlando Highlighted on
ABC in Philadelphia

Visit Orlando worked with ABC Philadelphia to showcase what makes Orlando unique and dynamic. The crew filmed a series of vignettes with TV host and meteorologist Melissa Magee, spotlighting all that is new and exciting in Orlando, including our ever-growing dining scene and endless outdoor adventures. The segments will air on the weekend show "FYI Philly" throughout the month of February.

Theme Parks Featured
in Lifestyle Magazine

Visit Orlando's public relations team secured coverage in New York Lifestyles Magazine, profiling the theme parks and Disney Springs. The article, released in print and online, generated more than 251,000 impressions.

CMO Hollander Shares
Insight on CMO Panel

More than 90 industry professionals attended the American Marketing Association of Orlando's special CMO panel featuring Danielle Hollander, Visit Orlando's chief marketing officer. The panel focused on what to look for in advertising agencies and the future of agencies working alongside brands.

Visit Orlando Honors
UCF's Dr. Abe Pizam

In August, Dr. Abe Pizam will retire as dean of UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, leaving a tremendous legacy that spans more than three decades. During a recent meeting of the Visit Orlando Board of Directors, Chairman Don Engfer recognized Dr. Pizam for being a longtime partner of our organization. We appreciate all he has done to advocate for the work of Visit Orlando, and to champion the local tourism industry.

Promoting Orlando
at Media Marketplace

Visit Orlando attended the annual TravMedia International Media Marketplace in New York City Jan. 25, meeting with more than 30 media outlets, including CBS News, Parents Magazine, Delish, and Travel + Leisure. Topics ranged from what's new in Orlando to lesser-known attractions to dining and arts and culture.

Event Highlights Benefits
of Working with CVBs

Visit Orlando's convention sales team attended the Destination Showcase in Washington, D.C., last week. The event focused on how to work with convention and visitor bureaus to achieve successful meetings, and it enabled Visit Orlando to meet with key association, corporate and government meeting professionals.

UK Newspapers Tab
Orlando as Top Value

The public relations team generated coverage in the UK's Daily Star (circ. 421K), highlighting Orlando as a top winter sun getaway following the destination being named "Best Value Long-Haul Break" in the Post Office Travel Money's annual Best Bargains report. The Daily Mirror also included Orlando in a roundup on best inexpensive places to travel in March.

Networking with
Key Clients at RCMA

Visit Orlando and participating members networked and conducted one-on-one meetings with clients at the Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA) tradeshow in Omaha Jan. 30-Feb. 1. In addition, Visit Orlando and its members hosted a private event for 20 key clients, showcasing everything our destination has to offer.

Accepting Applications
from Local Nonprofits

Visit Orlando is now accepting applications from local nonprofits for its annual Magical Dining Month program in September. Last year, Magical Dining raised a record $208,620 for two charities. Nonprofits are encouraged to apply online no later than Feb. 28. Questions can be directed to Kristin Rothbauer at kristin.rothbauer@visitorlando.com.

At the Center

Orlando Hotels: Best
Value for February

TripAdvisor identified hotels in Orlando with high ratings and reasonable rates for February. Ten included at least a "four bubble" rating, some for as little as $94 a night.

Orlando Dominates
Spring Break Travel

Travel insurance provider Allianz Global Assistance has analyzed U.S. travelers' spring break travel plans this year, and found that Orlando is once again the most popular domestic destination. For trips planned during the spring break season -- Feb. 23 through April 16 -- for travel between five and eight days in length, Orlando (9.5 percent) tops the list. Following in popularity are Phoenix (5.2 percent), Honolulu (4.7 percent) Fort Lauderdale (4.4 percent) and Las Vegas (4.2 percent).

Orlando No. 3 Spot
for Valentine's Day

Hotels.com announced its most favored destinations for lovers on Valentine's Day. While Las Vegas and New York took the No. 1 and 2 spots, Orlando was named No. 3 for romance this year.

Great Escape Debuts
President's Bunker

The Great Escape Room in downtown Orlando has transformed its original room into a brand new experience: the President's Bunker. The new, multiroom event lets players race against the clock to stop a deadly missile launch.

Airbnb Generated $45.7M
in Florida Tax Revenue

Airbnb rentals remitted more than $45.7 million in tax revenue to Florida state and local governments on behalf of its hosts in 2017, up from $20 million in 2016. This can be attributed both to the continued growth of vacation rentals and the six major tax agreements Airbnb secured in 2017: Miami-Dade, Broward, Sarasota, Polk, Hillsborough and Leon. The platform now has bed tax agreements in place in 39 of the 63 Florida counties.

TripAdvisor Announces
2018 Trend Report

TripAdvisor, the world's largest online provider of bookable experiences, tours and activities, shared its top travel trend report for the experiences segment. TripAdvisor bookings data revealed that iconic sites remain wildly popular, while travelers are expanding their horizons and bringing growth to new, non-traditional and experiential categories.

New Study: AI Key to
Guest Personalization

A new study found that while hoteliers fear a robot-run future, they do believe artificial intelligence is key to guest personalization. Hoteliers suggested it could enhance the guest experience through tailored pricing during the booking process, voice and face recognition upon arrival and 24/7 customer service during the stay.

New M&C Numbers
Show 160% ROI

A new report -- by Oxford Economics, the Events Industry Council, and the Meetings Mean Business Coalition -- shows the meetings industry supported $845 billion in business sales, $104 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, and $446 billion of the country's GDP in 2016. The study calculated three levels of impact: direct, indirect, and induced spending.