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Featured Event
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Aug. 23
Business Insights Luncheon & Economic Forum
Hilton Orlando
6001 Destination Pkwy.
Orlando, FL 32819
Click here to register now!
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Join the Conversation
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Visit Orlando's social media team recently created the "Orlando like a local" series. Check out this week's visit to Leu Gardens and East End Market in Audubon Park.
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Visit Orlando Events
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Aug. 9
Power Hour Lunch
Cuba Libre
Make plans to attend the August Power Hour lunch at Cuba Libre. Take part in networking over a lunch filled with Cuban flavors.
Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
Cost: $25 for Visit Orlando members
Click here to register.
Aug. 31
Member Meet-Up Happy Hour
Ace Café Orlando
Meet with fellow members and enjoy the dueling-piano stylings of Premier Piano Shows while experiencing the newest downtown venue everyone's talking about.
Time: 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $15 for Visit Orlando members
Click here to register.
Sept. 7
Member Orientation
Recommended for both new members and long-time Visit Orlando members to learn:
• How Visit Orlando markets the area as a convention, meetings and visitor destination.
• The benefits of membership.
• How to take advantage of the value-added services available exclusively to members.
Click here to register.
Member Presents
Members interested in targeting the meetings and convention market can present their products or services during monthly, 30-minute sessions with Destination Services. Click here to schedule a session.
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| Member-to-Member Offers |
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Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort is more than a stay - it's a place to play. Enjoy seven swimming pools, including a lazy river-style pool, waterslides, miniature golf courses, arcades, four golf courses, tennis and an 80-acre lake with plenty of watersports, a fun zone and more. Visit Orlando members save 20 to 25 percent off their stay. Call 866-892-5890 to reserve.
Citrus Club is offering Visit Orlando members 10 percent off the entire food and beverage total on all new events booked taking place in 2017. If you book two or more events together, you receive 15 percent off the total. Call Citrus Club directly to redeem. Offer Code: 2017
Orlando Convention Photographers is offering Visit Orlando members 25 percent off photography services for business portraits, services, meetings and marketing materials. Offer code: 012317
Premier Piano Shows is offering a vendor discount to Visit Orlando members. Offer provides $500 vendor discount off any Corporate Dueling Piano Entertainment package (retail prices range from $3,275 to $5,000 for three-hour shows). Click here to fill out contact form with information about your event. Promo Code VO500OFF. Offer not valid after Sept. 1.
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is offering all seats at $35 for Visit Orlando members. Click here to purchase tickets and enter offer code VISITORL. Offer expires Sept. 30.
Orlando City Soccer Club is offering Visit Orlando members discounted tickets to upcoming Orlando City and Orlando Pride games. Click here to find tickets and a promotional code.
VR Orlando Rentals is offering Visit Orlando members 20 percent off any virtual reality rental package. To redeem, call or email with the offer code VISITORLVR, and the discount will be applied once the booking is confirmed.
Ember is offering $5 off the regular price at Uncorked! Plan to visit Ember every Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m. through Dec. 31 for unlimited fine wines, select drafts and hors d'oeuvres. Text "Visit" to 407-470-9924 and show the message you receive at the door.
Do you have an offer you would like to see posted? Submit an offer to Visit Orlando Member Relations here.
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Industry Events
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 K1 Speed Orlando Monday Night Hospitality Special: $12 races and $3 mini-bowling. Industry employees must show valid ID or recent pay stub. Offer valid Mondays only.
CMAA Charity Golf event benefiting Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children: Sept. 18 at Interlachen Country Club.
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| Community Events
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| Connect With Visit Orlando |
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• Follow @VisitOrlando on Instagram and Twitter
• Like us at facebook.com/VisitOrlando
• Watch YouTube.com/VisitOrlando for more insider information about Orlando.
Sign up for our e-newsletter here.
Download the free Visit Orlando App for your personalized Orlando experience. It's the best way to navigate Orlando!
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| President & CEO's Message |
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July 28, 2017
Our Destination Is Leading the Way
Hotel data, especially room revenue and occupancy rates, tell us a lot about how tourism is impacting different parts of the country - and how our destination is stacking up against competitors.
The news for us is good. Recent reports show Orlando is leading the way among the nation's top 25 markets. According to second-quarter data released by hotel analyst STR, Orlando was the only market with a double-digit increase in revenue per room, plus we had the top increase in average daily rate and the second-highest rise in occupancy. From an occupancy perspective, our destination had our best June in 20 years!
We're fortunate to live in a community that recognizes the tremendous positive impact visitors make to our local economy, and how the successful combination of strategic marketing and continuous investment in our tourism infrastructure ensures our leadership position. With so many exciting developments on the horizon, from new hotels and attractions to eight new direct flights by Frontier Airlines, it stands to reason that this winning formula will reinforce a strong future.
As you'll read in this edition of Tourism Matters, hotel metrics aren't the only good news. Similar gains are being posted in every other key indicator, including conventions, airport traffic, industry employment and tourism-driven tax revenue. These are exciting times, indeed, for our destination - and at Visit Orlando, we're focused on keeping the momentum rolling!
-George Aguel
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| From the Research & Insights Desk of Visit Orlando |
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Industry Experiences Widespread Growth During First Half of 2017
Orlando's tourism industry experienced widespread growth during the first half of 2017 when compared to the same timeframe last year. The hotel industry saw increases across all key metrics: the occupancy rate rose 3.2 percent to 80.9 percent, occupied room nights rose 3.4 percent, and the average daily rate rose 5 percent. Overall attendance at the Orange County Convention Center was up 17.6 percent, and total passenger traffic at Orlando International Airport was up 5.6 percent. And, growth in the industry translates to jobs and taxes. Collections of Orange County's Tourist Development Tax were up 7.3 percent through May, and leisure and hospitality employment in the Orlando MSA was 5.3 percent higher in June versus the prior year. |
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| Visit Orlando Updates |
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UK Millennial Website Highlights Orlando
The publicity team is working with The Culture Trip, a popular UK website for millennials (2.6 million UMV), on 12 articles about the destination. The first story, "11 Reasons Why You Should Visit Orlando," dives into subjects that include: how to feel like a kid again, what's new, dining, culture, nature and sports. Other stories highlight "How to Spend 24 Hours in Orlando" and "
Best Bars in Orlando's Mills 50 District."
Do You Have Labor Day Deals?
For proactive media-pitching opportunities, Visit Orlando's publicity team is looking for deals, discounts and packages for Labor Day weekend. Any hotels, attractions or restaurants in Orlando with timely offers may send them to cory.oborn@visitorlando.com.
Parents Canada Highlights 'Moms Getaway'
The publicity team worked with Parents Canada online (161,000 social impressions) to generate a story about Orlando as a fun getaway for moms who need a break without the kids. It spotlighted top-notch dining, spa and outdoor adventures.
Showcasing Orlando in the Twin Cities
Convention sales, along with 15 participating members, showcased Orlando's unique meeting and event capabilities to more than 50 meeting professionals in Minneapolis. Planners representing various corporations and associations networked to come up with the perfect Orlando meeting recipe.
Pictured are meeting planners from Conference Direct, Thrivent Financial, Altour, One10, Buffalo Wild Wings, Prestige Global Meeting Source, International Dairy Queen, Ameriprise Financial, BI Worldwide and Ecolab.
Travel Report Mexico Offers Tips to Orlando
Mexico's Travel Report radio broadcast an hour-long program that covered a variety of Orlando topics, including new theme park attractions, accommodations, dining, shopping, sports and entertainment. The show visited Orlando in February and published continued coverage on its website, newsletter and social media sites (545,220 combined followers).
Orlando Welcomes the World for Soccer
Orlando's biggest international soccer match in years was held July 22 at Camping World Stadium as part of the International Champions Cup, which features 12 matches in the U.S. between eight of the world's most well-known soccer teams. More than 33,000 fans had the chance to see two of the biggest clubs in Europe when French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain faced off against English super club Tottenham Hotspur. The game was also carried live on ESPN and ESPN en Español, re-enforcing Orlando's position as a thriving sports community. Click here for more soccer matches and events coming to Orlando.
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Make Your Reservations Yet?
Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month, sponsored by American Express, kicks off Aug. 25. More than 100 restaurants are participating, each offering three-course, prix fixe menus for $35. Gather your friends, family and co-workers, because this magical dining experience is meant to be shared. With each meal purchased, the restaurants will donate $1 to charity; this year's nonprofits are Freedom Ride and BASE Camp Children's Cancer Foundation. Go to OrlandoMagicalDining.com to see menus and make reservations.
Orlando Represented at World Education Congress
More than 2,500 planners and suppliers attended Meeting Professionals International's World Education Congress in Las Vegas. While onsite, Visit Orlando conducted several one-on-one appointments, educating meeting professionals about all that's new in our destination, as well as developing meetings and convention leads.
Acclaim from Family Vacation Critic
The publicity team planned the Orlando itinerary for a journalist with FamilyVacationCritic.com (19.6 million combined impressions), resulting in more than 11 individual placements. Articles featured reviews on hotels, resorts, attractions and entertainment offerings throughout Orlando. Featured partners include The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort (pictured) and
The Polite Pig.
Summer Campaign Kicks Off in the UK
Visit Orlando launched a summer promotion with Pop TV - a popular children's network in the UK - to build awareness and intent for Orlando among families during the year's most popular travel time. The promotion takes place on afternoons through Sept. 3 and is expected to generate more than 22 million impressions.
Orlando a Fixture in U.S. News & World Report
Over the past six months, the publicity team has secured seven articles (combined reach 75 million) in U.S. News & World Report. Each story spotlighted a different angle, such as "7 Great Orlando Theme Parks," "6 Shopping Hot Spots" and "10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do in Orlando
." Six additional stories, including a focus on Orlando museums, will come out over the next few months.
Brazilian Influencer Chronicles Orlando Adventures
Brazilian influencer Bruna Vieira experienced our destination and shared her adventures on her social media accounts this week. She posted on Instagram (2 million followers,) produced videos for her YouTube channel (1.3 million) and will be writing a story for her blog, Depois dos Quinze
(433,000 unique million visitors). Topics include Disney World, Universal Studios, I-Drive 360, shopping in Orlando and much more.
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| News About Orlando |
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At the Center
| Group |
Meeting |
Start |
End |
Estimated Attendees |
Estimated Economic Impact |
| National Model Railroad Association |
National Train Show 2017 |
Aug. 4 |
Aug. 6 |
1,000 |
$1,970,000 |
| Charter Schools USA, Inc. |
Charter Schools USA 2017 |
Aug. 8 |
Aug. 8 |
3,500 |
$6,895,000 |
| Informa Middle East Limited (Dubai Branch) |
FIME |
Aug. 8 |
Aug. 10 |
15,000 |
$29,550,000 |
| American Trucking Associations, Inc. |
ATA National Truck Driving Championships 2017 |
Aug. 9 |
Aug. 12 |
3,000 |
$5,910,000 |
| AMW Productions, LLC |
America's Miss World |
Aug. 11 |
Aug. 13 |
1,500 |
$2,955,000 |
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Winter Park's Alfond Inn Makes Top 100 List
The Alfond Inn, known for its contemporary art collection, was listed among the world's Top 100 Hotels by Travel and Leisure magazine. Hotels were rated on their locations and amenities, as well as rooms/facilities, service, food and value.
 New Harry Potter Coaster Announced
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is getting a new thrill ride at Universal's Islands of Adventure, replacing Dragon Challenge.
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Frontier Adds Flights from Orlando to Midwest
Denver-based Frontier Airlines will add flights to 12 new cities, mostly in the Midwest, from Orlando International Airport later this year and into spring 2018. Orlando has become Frontier's second-biggest airport.
Disney Announces New Attractions
The D23 Expo on July 15 unveiled a long list of attractions planned in the coming months and years for Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Walt Disney World Resort.
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| Industry News |
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Laptop Ban Lifted on All Airlines
As reported by Time Magazine, the U.S. has officially ended the laptop ban. Customers flying to America from airports in Muslim-majority countries affected by the ban can once again bring their laptops and other electronic devices.
New Data: Bookings for Hoteliers
Average daily rates and bookings remain inconsistent across all travel segments, according to new data from TravelClick's July 2017 North American Hospitality Review (NAHR). This marks an ongoing trend for the year.
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Luxury Travel: Millennials and Baby Boomers
Demographics always defy preconceived notions, Skift's Laura Powell writes, but the mindsets of consumer segments are where the focus should be.
Gas Prices Increase
Figures released by AAA show that, across the country, states saw prices increase on average by three cents. At $2.28, the national gas price is three cents more than a week ago, which is the largest seven-day increase since before Memorial Day.
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