August 18, 2023

Hello,

Visit Orlando's Magical Dining officially kicks off today and runs through Oct.1! With more than 130 restaurants, including 21 new to the program and eight MICHELIN Guide restaurants, diners have more options than ever before.

We've made Visit Orlando's Magical Dining one of the best yet with the debut of a tiered menu system. Our restaurant partners are offering three-course, prix-fixe menus at $40 or $60.

The beauty of Visit Orlando's Magical Dining is that it not only supports our culinary businesses by encouraging residents and visitors to dine out, but it also makes an important impact on our community. One dollar from each $40 menu and two dollars from each $60 menu goes directly to local charities.

This year's main recipient, The Lifeboat Project, is a Central Florida nonprofit organization that continuously raises awareness of the issue of human trafficking and has provided care and resources to more than 250 survivors.

Since 2009, Visit Orlando's Magical Dining has raised more than $2.2 million for local organizations. This year we're also donating $2,000 to one local nonprofit in each of Orange County's six commission districts that provide services and resources to survivors of abuse in Central Florida. These organizations include Mustard Seed of Central Florida, Nuevo Sendero, One Heart for Women and Children, Salvation Army Orlando, Samaritan Village and Wake Up Mentoring.

The Visit Orlando team has been raising awareness of the charity and program through earned media, securing coverage with more than 35 media outlets appearing in top local, national and international publications, including MSN, Yahoo! News, Food & Wine, Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Date Night Guide, Panrotas and more.

Please help us spread the word about Magical Dining to your friends, family and colleagues. Go to OrlandoMagicalDining.com to make reservations, sort through menus or even plan a fun staycation with Visit Orlando's Magical Nights.

If you're active on social media, you can share your dining experiences and look for new animated Visit Orlando Magical Dining stickers to add even more flavor to your posts.

Bon Appétit!

Register for Visit Orlando's Insights Luncheon & General Session

Next week, hundreds of Central Florida industry professionals and businesses will come together for Visit Orlando's Insights Luncheon & General Session. The event takes place on Thursday, Aug. 24 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

During the general session, Visit Orlando's leadership team will share industry updates and information to help you gain insight for future business planning. Our guest speaker for the luncheon is Jason Dorsey, president of The Center for Generational Kinetics. He will deliver an interactive presentation on new insights into Gen Z and working across generations.

Register today and we'll see you soon!

Hotel Metrics

For the week ending August 12, Metro Orlando occupancy was 63.2%, down from last week's 67.8% rate and down 4.8% from the same week last year. Average Daily Rate was $160.17, down 2.7% from the same week last year.

Across the Industry

Free Networking Event: VISIT FLORIDA and the Adventure Travel Trade Association are hosting a free networking event, AdventureConnect Orlando, on Sept. 6 at Rosen Shingle Creek. The event will unite outdoor and adventure business owners and destination marketing organizations across Florida as part of the Florida Adventure Travel Network. Please consider attending to learn about the Florida Adventure Travel Network, connect with industry leaders and learn best practices. If interested in this free event, register here.

Around the Destination

Tripadvisor's The Wanderer: We recently hosted an exclusive screening event for elected officials, community partners and participating members to view the 30-minute episode showcasing Orlando on Tripadvisor's travel series "The Wanderer" now streaming on Amazon Prime. In the show, travelers are encouraged to design a unique itinerary, revealing hidden gems that draw inspiration uniquely from the locals themselves. Thanks to our many stakeholders for attending and local partners, including Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures, Wallaby Ranch, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Tripadvisor for making this unique production possible.

OCCC 40th Anniversary Celebration: Yesterday, more than 200 community leaders and local elected officials gathered to celebrate the Orange County Convention Center's (OCCC) 40th Anniversary Celebration. It was a pleasure to celebrate this important milestone and I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak at the event sharing about Visit Orlando's longstanding relationship with the OCCC to drive meeting and convention bookings positively impacting our community. From our entire Visit Orlando team, we wish you all a happy anniversary! 
 
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: In anticipation of the 2023 USHCC National Conference scheduled from Sept. 24-26, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) held a joint press conference with Orlando's local Hispanic Chamber to announce its annual event taking place in Orlando for the very first time. The conference stands as the largest assembly of Hispanic business leaders in the U.S. and is projected to draw more than 3,000 participants.

Visit Orlando Engaged!

Yelp Elite Dinner Event: To create excitement ahead of Visit Orlando's Magical Dining on Aug. 18, Visit Orlando partnered with Yelp to host an exclusive Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Preview Party at BACÁN and HAVEN, located in the Lake Nona Wave Hotel. Elite Yelpers had the opportunity to mix and mingle with Visit Orlando's team and learn more about the program and this year's charity partner, The Lifeboat Project, while sampling Visit Orlando's Magical Dining menu items.

HSMAI Central Florida Luncheon: This week, the local branch of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) hosted its monthly luncheon to share new marketing initiatives in Central Florida. Visit Orlando's Chief Marketing Officer Danielle Hollander provided an organizational update presenting Visit Orlando's latest initiatives to drive visitation, Visit Orlando's Magical Dining, recent broadcast productions and campaign updates.

Chicago Sales Mission: On Aug. 11, in partnership with 19 Visit Orlando members and the Orange County Convention Center, our team hosted over 150 Illinois and Wisconsin-based associations and corporate clients for a networking event and Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band concert in Chicago. Seeing "The Boss" perform live was on the bucket list of many of our attendees, which included meeting professional leaders and executives, giving our team an opportunity to connect with key clients to share the benefits of Orlando.

In the News

WESH: Orlando Magical Dining begins

BuzzFeed: I took a budget-friendly trip to Orlando, and here's how it turned out

Spectrum News 13: A preview of Brightline's new high-speed rail extension

Smart Meetings: Central Florida: sun central

Mommy Poppins: Our 100 best family vacation destinations

Travel + Leisure: 21 best family resorts in Florida, according to locals