Jan. 29, 2016

Tourism Jobs Continue to Thrive

As we move into the new year, Orlando's job growth continues to soar thanks to a strong economy in 2015 and a healthy expansion in the leisure and hospitality industry. Jobs in our tourism-related sectors have surged-accounting for a third of the growth in total employment the destination has experienced. That translates into greater job security and more opportunities for the future.

All this comes as no surprise since tourism has always been a substantial drive in our destination's economic engine and a major resource for career-seekers. Interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel recently, Pam Nabors, president and CEO of CareerSource Central Florida, expressed how the hospitality industry provides vast opportunities to start and build a career. She added that the growing numbers in tourism and hospitality-related industries demonstrate confidence in consumer spending-further evidence that the destination is on the right track.

Finally, not only are jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry up 5.3 percent over last year, tourism jobs are also growing at a faster rate than other industries in Orlando.

All of this is cause for optimism as we consider the growth potential for 2016. In short, Orlando continues to be a destination on the rise with opportunities for success for so many in our community.

—George Aguel

Consumer Confidence Rises in January

Consumers are feeling more confident about the economy despite the rocky start to the New Year on Wall Street. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index rose for the second consecutive month, registering 98.1 in January, up from 96.3 in November and 92.6 in November. Consumer's view of current conditions, the Present Situation Index, was unchanged at 116.4. Consumer's expectations for the next 6 months, the Expectations Index, increased from 83.0 to 85.9 in January. Read more about the Index here.

"Outdoor Orlando's" Video: Let's Go Hang Gliding!

Visit Orlando's Social Media team continues with their outdoor adventure series, "Outdoor Orlando." In this episode, take flight and see what it's like to hang glide at 2,000 feet through Central Florida's sunny skies at Wallaby Ranch with national travel correspondent Sarah Sekula.

"The Voice" Isn't Just for Adults

Next week Visit Orlando will be working with Telemundo's hit show "La Voz Kids" (the kids version of the hit "The Voice"), hosting a number of stars from the show. They will be producing a series of show vignettes promoting all there is to do in the Orlando destination.

Connecting at LeGrow's Vacation Superstore

Visit Orlando's Travel Industry Sales team recently attended the 19th Annual LeGrow's Vacation Superstore in St. John's. NL, Canada. Approximately 1,500 attended the event, including 45 additional suppliers. The team had the opportunity to network with 287 prospective clients.

Bringing Orlando to Discover America

Visit Orlando attended the Discover America events held last week in Stockholm, Sweden and at the Matka show in Helsinki, Finland. A total of 150 travel agents, tour operators and airline contacts were reached with Visit Orlando presentations or meetings. In Stockholm, we presented a grand prize of a trip to Orlando, including flights from Delta Air Lines.

Gearing Up for Design & Construction Week 2017

Visit Orlando's Destination Services Senior Manager Carolyn Martin attended the National Association of Home Builders' International Builder's Show (IBS) and National Kitchen & Bath Association's Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) held in Las Vegas last week. Both shows co-located three years ago, and hold one convention called Design & Construction Week, which will be coming back to Orlando in January 2017. Martin met with 30-40 top exhibitors at both the IBS and KBIS shows, and the city is getting geared up to welcome Design & Construction Week (DCW) to Orlando next year. The show is expected to attract close to 100,000 people, and to use all 2.1 million square feet of exhibit space at the Orange County Convention Center. 

Behind the Scenes With PGA Merchandise Show's Ed Several

Visit Orlando's Communications team interviewed the man behind PGA Merchandise Show, Reed Exposition Senior Vice President Ed Several. Watch for the interview to air soon on VisitOrlando.com, but, in the meantime, Several commented about how Orlando has changed in the 35 years the show has been coming to Orlando, including the "great restaurants on I-Drive and Sand Lake Road," which are popular with attendees. Several also noted to the Visit Orlando team that this year's show has been one of the best, with attendance up 5 percent.

Visit Orlando Attends ABA's Marketplace

Visit Orlando's Travel Industry Sales team recently attended American Bus Association's (ABA) Marketplace 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. ABA kicks off their first conference of the year by welcoming members of the travel and tourism industry to a premium business event. The event offered networking opportunities such as sales meetings, social events and highly qualified educational seminars. Approximately 3,500 attended the event, including 900 operators. The team had the opportunity to conduct 42 one-on-one meetings with operators that bring groups to Orlando.

Visit Orlando Conquers Blizzard With Successful Philadelphia Sales Mission

Visit Orlando National Accounts Director Susan Zeiri and 10 Orlando members braved the Blizzard of 2015 for the annual Philadelphia Sales Mission featuring a Philadelphia Flyers game at the Wells Fargo Center. Our Philadelphia clients were resilient and battled the aftermath of the storm to attend our client event in which we hosted 26 pharmaceutical, third-party and citywide clients in the Visit Orlando game suite. As part of the mission, we also hosted a breakfast for the American Express Philadelphia team at the Union League of Philadelphia and a lunch presentation for 23 meeting planners and travel buyers in the Maritz office. Shown above, left to right, at the Union League of Philadelphia: Lila Kaplan, travel buyer, American Express; Steve Lafferty, team leader and operations, American Express for Merck Pharmaceutical Group; and Susan Zeiri, national account director Visit Orlando Convention Sales.

What's Your Favorite #Butterbeer?

Hot, frozen, cold or ice-cream flavor? Intagramers are lovin' @VisitOrlando's latest post from #universalorlando's Hogsmeade.

Next Week at the Convention Center

KAYAK Guide: Orlando #1 Family Destination

KAYAK selected Orlando as No. 1 Top 10 Family Destinations and one of the Top 10 Most Popular Destinations in its 2016 Travel Hacker Guide.

10 Orlando-Area Resorts Make Cvent Top 100 List

Cvent, Inc. has named the following 10 Orlando-area resorts to its 2015 Top 100 U.S. Most Popular Meeting Resorts list. Cvent evaluates thousands of properties featured in its Supplier Network. Those that make the list are determined by activity tracked between August 2014 and July 2015.

Cvent: Orlando Top U.S. Meeting Destination

Cvent, Inc., has ranked Orlando No. 1 in its Top 50 Meeting Destinations in the United States in 2015, up from a No. 2 ranking in 2014. Las Vegas and Chicago took the No. 2 and 3 spots, respectively. Cvent evaluated more than 5,000 cities, ranking them based on meeting and event booking activity in the Supplier Network, as well as the number of meeting and event venues in the area.

Travel Weekly Readers Choose Walt Disney World

Travel Weekly readers selected Walt Disney World as the Best Theme Park in 2015. Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards 2015 features winners selected for "excellence in products and services".

DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando to Add Meeting Space

The 1,102-room DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando near SeaWorld is expanding its meeting space, adding a 22,000-square-foot ballroom and executive courtyard in hopes of attracting more travelers to the destination during slower months.

Dr. Phillips Center a "Best Place in the South Now"

Popular lifestyle magazine Southern Living ranks Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as No. 10 in the magazine's 50 Best Places in the South Now, thanks to the Center being "a hub for performance, community outreach, and arts education... ."

Orange County Economic Summit Recap

According an Orlando Business Journal article, officials announced at last week's Orange County Economic Summit that Orlando is the second-fastest growing metro area in the United States, with an anticipated net immigration of 350,000 new residents by 2020. The city also leads job creation in the state, with more than 180,000 jobs added since the recession.

Tru by Hilton Targets Millennials

On Jan. 25, Hilton Worldwide unveiled Tru by Hilton, a new brand that "will appeal to a broad range of travelers who span generations but think alike; they are united by a millennial mindset... ."

JetBlue to Offer Free Gate-to-Gate "Fly-Fi"

JetBlue is taking customer in-flight connection a step further. A major focus of the restyle of JetBlue A320 cabins will be free gate-to-gate Fly-Fi high-speed Internet, a new Internet-enabled inflight entertainment system, high-definition seatback televisions, and in-seat power outlets with USB ports.