February 23, 2024

Hello,

Over President's Day weekend, Visit Orlando brought a little warm sunshine to New York City's Winter Village at Bryant Park for our second "Warm Up with Visit Orlando" activation.

Thousands of New Yorkers came out to enjoy Orlando Skate Nights and Family SUNday FUNday, ice skating to a customized sunny Orlando Playlist around an orange glow ice rink. Families captured memories in our "No Snow" sun globe and Wall of Warm, sipped hot chocolate and bundled up with branded orange scarfs.

Winter Doesn't Exist spotlights are one of our key differentiators—you can enjoy the destination year-round, particularly when it is cold and grey in many of our key markets. This year, we extended the campaign to two additional markets: Canada and the UK.

Winter Doesn't Exist is an example of a complete integrated campaign which combines advertising, publicity, social media, activations and more to inspire travel to Orlando.

Activities including weather triggered digital advertising, social media content and high-impact out-of-home advertising placements will run through February.

Recap of Team Orlando at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024

In January, Visit Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center brought an Orlando experience to San Diego for the annual PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 conference. The event unites professionals and community leaders worldwide to explore how business events generate economic and social legacies for businesses and communities. We hosted more than 100 key clients, conducted media interviews with leading trade publications and facilitated business discussions between qualified buyers and partners. Take a look at some of the activities in this event recap video. The main stage performance featured City of Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome and local singers from Hawkmoon Entertainment who dazzled with a high-energy, musical rendition of the Unbelievably Real poem.

Data & Trends

Metro Orlando's hotel occupancy rate for the week ending February 17, 2024, was 78.3%, which was up from 75% the prior week but down 3.4% from the same week last year. Average Daily Rate for the week was $232.45, up from the previous week's $222 and up 0.4% from the same week last year.

Across the Industry

World Travel Awards: It's an honor to be recognized in the annual World Travel Awards 2024. For more than 30 years, the World Travel Awards has rewarded and celebrated excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Please take a few moments to vote for our destination and Visit Orlando in the following categories:

• North America's Leading City Break Destination 2024: Orlando, Florida, USA
• North America's Leading City Destination 2024: Orlando, Florida, USA
• North America's Leading Tourist Board 2024: Visit Orlando

Voting closes on April 7, 2024.

Around the Destination

Visit Orlando board members; Visit Orlando member organizations; Orange County Public Schools, Valencia College and UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management education partners; and Rosen Leadership Council student representatives.

CFHLA Golden Pineapple Awards: The Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association (CFHLA) recognized front-line employees from hotels across Central Florida at its annual Golden Pineapple Awards ceremony. The event celebrated so many incredible individuals that comprise our destination's travel and tourism workforce. On behalf of the Visit Orlando team, we thank you for your contributions and dedication to creating positive, lasting memories for Orlando's millions of visitors!

Pictured L to R: Visit Orlando's Chief Operating Officer Mario Bass; Vice President of Human Resources Karen Soto; Senior Vice President of Membership & Support Services Kristen Darby; and Manager of Membership Brandon Dodrill

Aloft Ribbon Cutting Ceremony: Over 300 community members attended the Aloft Lake Nona official grand opening, which included a heartfelt dedication for its Althea Event Center, named after Althea Neale Gibson, America's renowned tennis player known for shattering racial barriers. The hotel is located near the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus and offers versatile indoor and outdoor high-tech amenities with a chic, open-concept design. There are 205 urban-inspired guestrooms, 15 suites, 6,000-square-foot ballroom, 10,000-square-foot event center and a sports-themed Grace + Tempo Restaurant.

Visit Orlando Engaged!

Pictured L to R: Crystal Morrell, Sheraton Orlando Lake Buena Visita; Casandra Matej, Visit Orlando; Karla Soto, Jensen USA; and Marie Heikkinen Webb, Orlando Magic

WISE Presentation: Visit Orlando spoke to the Women In Sports and Events (WISE) at its monthly event. WISE's mission is to support women in the business of sports. Our presentation highlighted the impact travel makes on our destination and shared the essential role Visit Orlando plays when collaborating with other organizations to bring sporting events and meeting groups to the region. These collaborative efforts help boost our destination's reputation as a prime city for sporting events.

Pictured L to R: Leslie Mizerak, Get Courageous; Elisha González, Fairwinds Credit Union; Casandra Matej, Visit Orlando; Lena Comb, Withum; and Rebecca York, Ameris Bank

WILD Panel Discussion: Visit Orlando joined the Women's Initiative for Leadership Development (WILD) for an educational event centered on helping women thrive in the business community. WILD is a community-based coalition of women focused on growing the capabilities of female executives in Central Florida. The discussion, led by Leslie Mizerak of Get Courageous, focused on how professional women can support other women in the workplace. Representing Fairwinds Credit Union, Elisha Gonzalez joined the panel alongside Visit Orlando.

Visit Orlando's UK public relations agency FINN Partners met media at TravMedia's International Media Marketplace UK.

UK Media Marketplace: Visit Orlando participated in TravMedia's International Media Marketplace (IMM) Feb. 19-20 in London. As a leading UK media networking event, IMM connects the travel industry with the most prominent journalists, editors and influencers. Visit Orlando's public relations agency for the UK, FINN Partners, met with 33 media, content creators and travel influencers to pitch new story opportunities for the year ahead, each designed to broaden the understanding of the expansive visitor offering across the destination. Creative discussions about the ever-expanding culinary scene, outdoor adventure, wildlife encounters, culture, and hidden hotspots all set the stage for several exciting opportunities with the region's most influential media.

In the News

ShermansTravel: 48 hours in Orlando 
 
Tripadvisor: Things to do in Orlando besides theme parks
 
Click Orlando: 5 more Orlando restaurants added to Michelin guide
 
Orlando Business Journal: 2024 economic outlook for Central Florida tech and tourism
 
Condé Nast Traveler: 21 best weekend getaways in Florida, from Palm Beach spa days to Gulf Coast manatee tours