December 15, 2017

What a Year It's Been for Orlando!

-George Aguel

Orlando's leisure and hospitality employment in October was 3.3 percent higher than the same month last year - outpacing the 3.0 percent year-over-year increase in total metropolitan statistical area employment. During this span, the leisure and hospitality sector has grown by 8,300 jobs, accounting for 23 percent of the increase in total metropolitan statistical area employment.

Orlando's Signature Dish:
Honey Nougat Glacé

Congratulations to Chef Catherine Delrieu of Mon Petit Cheri Café for winning the Orlando Signature Dish culinary competition. Earlier this year, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs challenged the area's culinary community to create a honey-based dessert that would reflect the history and personality of Orlando. Dozens of delicious entries were received, and an expert panel of celebrity chefs chose the winner after public voting narrowed the field to 10 finalists. Melanie Fernandez, managing partner of BDO, tallied the judge's scorecards and presented the results onstage in a sealed envelope. The honey nougat glace features Italian meringue prepared with honey, nougat and fruit confit, on a red berries sorbet.

Students Participate in
Culinary Competition

More than 280 Orange County high school students participated in the seventh annual Orange County Hospitality & Culinary Competition earlier this month. Organized by the NAF Academy of Hospitality & Tourism, students joined in chef demonstrations and case studies and learned about careers in culinary arts and tourism. Industry professionals from Disney, Universal, Loews Hotels, Hilton, Centerplate, AAA National, Visit Orlando and more judged the competition.

UK Winter Campaign
Expands into Ireland

Visit Orlando is set to launch its UK winter campaign, encouraging families to book their next holiday to Orlando. The integrated campaign, which includes TV, outdoor advertising, digital and social media, is being extended into Ireland to grow visitation and airlift capacities from the high-potential market. Expected to generate more than 173 million impressions, brand messaging will also include several 10-second spots with the call to action "Make 2018 a Year to Remember. Visit Orlando."

Dining Coverage
in Orlando

Thanks to the efforts of Visit Orlando's public relations team, the destination was featured in a Bloomberg story (22.6 million impressions) highlighting Orlando's growing culinary scene.

Helping Others
Dress to Succeed

Visit Orlando recently donated more than 200 convention assistant business jackets to Dress for Success and Jobs Partnership of Florida. The two local organizations empower men and women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help individuals thrive in work and in life.

Chilean Tour Operators
Experience Orlando

The travel industry sales team, in partnership with Copa Airlines, worked with 10 key tour operators from Chile for a destination orientation. Staying at host hotels, Clarion Lake Buena Vista and Coco Key Hotel & Water Resort, the group experienced our theme parks, several attractions on I-Drive, Kennedy Space Center, one of Orlando's many dinner theaters and world-class shopping.

Magical Dining Raises
$208,620 for Charity

Visit Orlando's 12th annual Magical Dining Month raised a record $208,620 for two local charities: Freedom Ride Inc. and BASE Camp Children's Foundation. Freedom Ride provides therapeutic horseback riding to people of all ages coping with physical, emotional and learning disabilities. BASE Camp works to ease the stress of children and their families suffering from cancer and other life-threatening hematological illnesses. Watch the charities in action here.

New Direct Flight
from Zurich

Visit Orlando joined Edelweiss and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority at the Hyatt last week to commemorate the launch of a new direct-air service between Zurich and Orlando. An Edelweiss Airbus A330-300 will fly the route weekly starting in January, generating an annual economic impact of more than $35 million. In addition to opening Orlando to Swiss and other European visitors, the new route offers a convenient direct flight for travelers from around Orlando to the heart of Europe.

Travel Influencers
Explore Orlando

Visit Orlando partnered with Simon Malls to work with UK travel and fashion influencers @AmyNevFashionDiaries, @Sabrina_Chakici and the @CollyerTwins in developing stories about Orlando. During their stay, the influencers were able to explore picturesque Winter Park, ride the thrills at Universal Orlando, taste delicious eats at East End Market and experience the night scene downtown while sharing their adventures across multiple social platforms.

UK's Mirror: Orlando a
Top Destination for Deals

The public relations team assisted with a story in the Mirror online promoting the best inexpensive vacation destinations for January, with Orlando leading the pack. The article touts "Now's the time to make the most of Orlando, with prices having dropped by 40 percent compared to last winter."

Orlando Welcomes Azul
Airlines Inaugural Flight

Visit Orlando greeted passengers during Azul Airlines inaugural ceremony at the Belo Horizonte International Airport in Brazil; celebrating the new flight service to Orlando. Representatives of the United States Consulate and members of the Minas Gerais government as well as other passengers received Visit Orlando bags and Orlando Vacation Guides. Flights during the high summer season will run four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).

Choral Convention to
Bring 10K Attendees

Thirty choral directors from around the country recently attended a destination orientation hosted by Visit Orlando. The 2018 Barbershop Harmony Society Annual International Convention will bring more than 10,000 voices to the Orange County Convention Center, July 3 - 7.

At the Center

Orlando No. 1 for
Christmas Celebrations

Artificial tree maker Treetopia compiled data of several popular destinations in the U.S. for celebrating Christmas, and Orlando came out on top. Looking at Google Trends, the company found increased interest in searches using the term "Christmas Orlando" during the past year.

Orlando Among the Best
Places to Ring in 2018

Orlando is among the Top 10 cities to ring in the New Year, according to the 10Best Readers' Choice. The contest, promoted by USA TODAY, included a panel of travel experts and allowed people four weeks to vote for the destination of their choice.

Orlando No. 4
for Sports Fandom

Orlando is one of the best cities in America for sports fandom, according to a new report from WalletHub. The rankings were based on more than 50 metrics, ranging from performance level of each city's teams to average ticket price per game.

Lyft Names Top
Spots in Orlando

The third annual Lyftie Awards named Disney Springs and Universal CityWalk, along with Amway Center, Bahama Breeze, the Beacham night club and Valencia College as some of the top spots in Orlando for riders.

51 Million Travelers
Forecasted to Fly

Industry trade organization Airlines for America predicts that more than 51 million travelers will fly during the holiday season, and airlines plan to make 91,000 extra seats per day available to accommodate the spike in travel. The estimate represents a 3.5 percent increase over the same period last year, with the busiest days being Dec. 21, 22 and 26.

3 Ways Digital Affects
Travel-Buying Behavior

Three key factors explain how digital technology is impacting travel-buying behavior, according to a new study from Expedia Media Solutions: It inspires exploration, makes travel planning more accessible, and makes research easier.

Expedia Survey Sheds
Light on Travel Trends

A new survey by the marketing arm of Expedia shows American, British and Chinese travelers prioritize activities when planning a trip ahead of such other factors as getting the lowest price. The survey also showed that, in the U.S. and China, Millennials travel the most, but in the U.K., Baby Boomers out-travel other generations.

Will PreCheck and
Global Entry Merge?

With approximately 12 million members combined, PreCheck and Global Entry both ease the airport security process. Many industry experts support the idea of merging the two programs, saying it would simplify things for passengers and reduce duplication.