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Tourism Matters - Visit Orlando

July 16, 2021

Visit Orlando president & CEO Casandra Matej introduces the charities selected for Visit Orlando's Magical Dining 2021

Hello,

The restaurants and menus are close to being finalized for Visit Orlando's Magical Dining (Aug. 27 – Oct. 3), but as an appetizer, we're proud to announce that we've selected two local charities to benefit from our annual $1 per meal donation.

Who are this year's charity recipients? Watch the video above to find out! 

You can also read more about them in our press release.

Visit Orlando's Business Insights Luncheon & Economic Forum is returning Aug. 27


Register Now for Our August Luncheon 

Visit Orlando's Business Insights Luncheon & Economic Forum is returning Aug. 27 to the Hilton Orlando.

The Economic Forum features Anirban Basu, chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, and Daryl Cronk, senior director of market research & insights for Visit Orlando. This session will help prepare you for the budget season, providing expert forecasting on economic and travel trends.  

After the forum, we invite you to join us in reconnecting with colleagues and our team members in the Member Connect area. 

Then, attend the Business Insights Luncheon to hear from guest speaker Paul Ouimet, partner and president of MMGY NextFactor, on the trends and opportunities that will shape the future of our industry. We'll also be unveiling Visit Orlando's new three-year strategic plan shaped by feedback from members, industry partners, local stakeholders and business leaders.  

Register early to secure your spot. I look forward to seeing you there! 

Disney Moving 2,000 Jobs from California to Lake Nona 

Big news this week, as Disney confirmed it is building a regional campus in Lake Nona and relocating 2,000 high-wage professional jobs from California. The positions will be part of the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products division. 

To quote our friends at the Orlando Economic Partnership, this decision "reinforces Orlando's status as one of the most magical places to do business, and its ripple effect on our economy will help attract even more innovative businesses and high-skilled talent." 

That's the power of tourism!

Read more

May TDT Reflects Strong Start to Summer 

Orange County's Tourist Development Tax collections for May came to $16.9 million, down slightly from April. This follows a typical seasonal pattern where visitation slows after spring break until Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer travel season. 

Chart displaying May TDT compared to past months

Hotel occupancy for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend reached 90%, the highest daily rate since early March 2020. May also marked another milestone in our destination's recovery – the first month since the pandemic that Orange County did not have to dip into TDT reserves.  

Weekly Hotel Occupancy Climbs Above State Average

For the week ending July 10, hotel occupancy grew slightly to 72.8%, up from 70.7% the previous week. This marks three consecutive weeks above 70% and is the second week, post-pandemic, in which Orlando's occupancy topped the Florida average. Average daily rate rose $4.25 to $131.76. 

Visit Orlando Once Again Accredited by DMAP 

Visit Orlando joined nearly 1,000 industry professionals in Baltimore this week for the Destinations International annual conference, which provided opportunities for education and networking around the theme of "Embrace Disruption."  

At the conference, Visit Orlando received another four-year accreditation by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). To achieve this status, an organization must demonstrate compliance with more than 100 performance standards in destination marketing and management. We're honored to once again receive this important industry distinction.

Sam and Jose (@welcometosamjose) shared their visit to an Orlando City Game


Getting Social with Sam and Jose

A big thank you to influencers Sam and Jose (@welcometosamjose), a married couple from Orlando, for working with us to share their experiences on our social channels. We recently partnered with them to cover SeaWorld's Electric Ocean and do an Instagram takeover of an Orlando City game during Pride Month. Their content has generated over 120,000 impressions. Be on the lookout for more Sam and Jose soon! 

This banner will appear on every AeroMexico p


Visit Orlando Partners with AeroMexico 

To keep our destination top of mind in Mexico, we're joining forces with AeroMexico to promote flights to Orlando. Our integrated strategies will include multiple marketing tactics, sales and PR support. Collateral like the above banner will be on every purchase confirmation email, and a dedicated e-blast will reach over 4 million AeroMexico subscribers, driving traffic to a booking page on AeroMexico.com to encourage future trips. The campaign began July 8, with multiple efforts continuing through November. 

Across the Industry

SeaWorld Orlando named No. 1 Theme Park by USA Today readers 
 
Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek debuts
 
Mayor Demings urges vaccinated people to wear masks indoors 
 
Orlando among the best US cities for cheap flights in 2021
 
US travelers increasingly likely to be vaccinated 
 
Orange County Convention Center hosts record-breaking volleyball championships 

Canada-U.S. border needs a reopening plan urgently, tourism experts plead

Romantic Orlando dates under $30

Casandra Matej
In your service,
Casandra Matej
Casandra Matej | President & CEO
Visit Orlando
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