TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – VISIT FLORIDA highlighted 2022’s “amazing” year for Florida’s tourism industry and record-breaking visitation growth, which the group said fortifies Florida as one of the top vacation destinations in the world.
Through VISIT FLORIDA’s marketing initiatives with local and regional tourism partners, Florida has seen record-breaking visitation growth.
“Florida tourism continues to reach new heights thanks to VISIT FLORIDA’s strategic marketing initiatives in tandem with the initiatives of our tourism partners throughout the state,” said VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO Dana Young.
VISIT FLORIDA is Florida’s official tourism marketing corporation and serves as Florida’s official source for travel planning to visitors across the globe.
“Quarter after quarter, our vacation message has clearly resonated with travelers far and wide, and delivered record-breaking results on behalf of all Floridians. We appreciate Governor Ron DeSantis’ support and leadership that have helped get us here today, and are looking forward to leading Florida’s number one industry to even more success in 2023,” Young said.
VISIT FLORIDA’S 2022 Highlights:
- Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian, VISIT FLORIDA launched a multi-million-dollar marketing plan in partnership with communities throughout Florida to promote tourism to the state to ensure a full recovery from the storm. The multi-phased campaign includes an initial effort showing that Florida is open for business, as well as a comprehensive recovery package for the areas of the state that were most severely impacted by the storm.
- Conducted the annual Winter Sunseekers Campaign to reinforce Florida’s position as a top winter vacation destination. The campaign delivered over 1 billion impressions and those exposed to its advertising were nearly 3 times more likely to travel to Florida.
- Hosted Florida Huddle, serving the international travel trade industry and hosted Florida Encounter, serving the meetings and events industry simultaneously for the first time ever in Tampa. Together, the events were attended by more than 600 registrants, representing 24 countries and over 7,500 appointments.
- Partnered with the Adventure Travel Trade Association to help promote Florida’s Rural Areas of Opportunity . Efforts included a two-module, in-person adventure training program for local tourism suppliers, and a new Unexplored Florida webpage on VISITFLORIDA.com.
- Awarded the distinction of International Destination Guest of Honor at the ANATO Tourist Showcase in Bogota, Colombia—the first state to ever receive this designation in the event’s history.
- Led multi-city mission trips to Mexico and Brazil to further foster Florida’s presence among Latin American travelers – which encompassed eight of Florida’s top 10 international origin markets in 2021.
- Executed the annual Families campaign to further solidify Florida as the top destination for family travelers. Targeting a variety of markets across the U.S., the campaign resulted in over 970 million impressions among potential travelers.
- Attended the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow in Orlando, participating in nearly 400 trade appointments and media interviews over three days. VISIT FLORIDA collaborated with Visit Orlando on several events spotlighting Florida as the host state for the event and conducted six post-show Group Familiarization Trips.
- Executed a total of 15 domestic and international campaigns with Expedia. The campaigns resulted in 2.2 million air tickets, 2.4 million room nights, 1.3 million vacation rental nights, 5.3 million passengers and nearly $517 million in total gross bookings.
- Created a culinary hub on VISITFLORIDA.com and produced 22 “You’ve Got To Try This: Chef’s Edition” videos. Highlighting the unique restaurants, cuisines and chefs across the state, the programming showcased the wide spectrum of Florida’s culinary offerings to potential travelers.
- Florida grew its market share of overseas visitors by 21 percent, surpassing New York as the #1 destination in America for the first time since 2001.
- Partnered with Michelin, Visit Orlando, Visit Tampa Bay and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau to announce the launch of the MICHELIN Guide in Florida.
- Hosted the 2022 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Boca Raton, FL. Over 800 tourism professionals and stakeholders attended the event, representing GC’s highest participation since 2016.
- From January through September, Florida welcomed 104.5 million travelers, an increase of 4.1 percent from the same period in 2019 and over 15.3 percent more than in 2021.
- Launched its 2022 Adventure Travel campaign to showcase Florida’s wealth of outdoor experiences and grow the state’s reputation as a leading adventure travel destination.
- Debuted its second annual Gift of Florida campaign, inspiring people to choose Florida vacation experiences over their material items in their gift-giving this holiday season.
