The latest on Visit Orlando's activities to support our tourism industry.
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Visit Orlando

September 18, 2020

Halloween at SeaWorld

Hello,

Coming off a strong Labor Day weekend to close the summer travel season, our destination now enters a time of year, not including the holidays, that are typically associated with slower visitation.

To help our industry weather the fall season, Visit Orlando is promoting our destination through publicity and direct-to-consumer measures that include special offers, seasonal events and our Magical Dining program, in addition to our regional and drive-market campaigns, #LoveOrlando social messaging and other initiatives.

Looking ahead, I'm encouraged about new research showing Americans are growing more likely to travel in the next six months. And, even further out, it's great to see that Orlando is among the world's most-searched travel destinations for summer 2021.

#LoveOrlando

Leveraging the Love of Orlando: I'm pleased to share that our #LoveOrlando campaign, which taps into the passion people have for our destination, continues to be a big hit. Our social media team is creating lots of unique content around this initiative while amplifying user-generated posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In addition, dozens of companies across the industry are actively using the hashtag to promote their followers' positive experiences. Overall, #LoveOrlando has already generated 8 million impressions. 

Visit Orlando's Magical Dining

Visit Orlando's Magical Dining: We've reached the halfway point for our destination's month-long signature dining program, and I continue to be very encouraged by the outpouring of support. Many of our 70-plus restaurants quickly sold out all their available time slots, media coverage secured by our PR team has been outstanding (100-plus positive articles and TV segments to date), and we're hearing stories about diners leaving very generous donations for this year's charity, Feed the Need Florida. Make sure to check out menus and make your reservations today. Here's a checklist of restaurants by dining district, fare, outdoor seating and takeout/delivery options. 

ReBound ReDiscover

Educating Travel Advisers in Latin America: Our travel industry sales team recently launched a "ReBound & ReDiscover" webinar series for tour operators in key Latin America markets to learn about destination updates and new safety measures from our theme parks, attractions and hotels. The six-part series, conducted in Portuguese and Spanish, runs through September. Travel advisers play an important role ensuring visitors feel confident in resuming travel to Orlando, and they rely on Visit Orlando as a trusted source for information and updates. 

Research & Insights

Hotel Metrics: Metro Orlando's occupancy rate for the week ending Sept. 12 was 31.6%, up from 30.9% the previous week. Average daily rate rose 28 cents to $86.25.

Travel Perceptions: Perceived safety of travel activities among Americans has improved to the highest levels since March 15, and the percentage who say they will avoid all travel "until the coronavirus situation blows over" decreased to the lowest levels since late June. Discounts and price cuts for airlines and hotels have also become much more influential for travelers since the early months of the pandemic; more than 4 in 10 now agree these incentives would make them more interested in traveling in the next three months. Read more 

ACROSS THE INDUSTRY

SeaWorld's new Orlando and Tampa roller coasters are opening in the spring  

Orlando Meetings leaders share some positive signs of recovery 

Orlando airport sees gradual return of international routes 

Sanford airport expansion could mean new airlines, flights

In-person events enjoy a healthy return at the Orange County Convention Center 

Universal Orlando to open two haunted houses this weekend 

SeaWorld Orlando's Halloween Spooktacular to offer safe fun for the whole family

Tru by Hilton's first Orlando hotel an investment in a post-COVID future

Stay safe, everyone.

George Aguel
President & CEO

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