State Tourism Agency Has A Plan To Draw Visitors To Florida
Visit Florida officials have developed a travel marketing plan to combat increased competition from states that have implemented tighter COVID-19 restrictions in recent years.
Now that restrictions have been lifted nationally and eased internationally and Florida's proposed fiscal year 2023-2024 budget has boosted the tourism dollar, the state tourism agency's Marketing Board on Tuesday released plans that partially cancel the start of winter and "families" . advertising campaigns. within a few months.
“We pushed them to launch in October and March, respectively, which we believe will allow us to initiate travel discussions earlier in the decision-making process and maximize our traveler visits,” said Brett Liken, vice president of Visit Florida. marketing, conference time.
Marketing efforts will continue to target beaches and theme parks, as well as regional and outdoor businesses.
Laiken said the agency was focused on Florida's recovery from COVID-19 last year and "we really want to celebrate record numbers this year in the face of increasing competition."
The proposed state budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which begins July 1, includes $80 million to visit Florida, up $30 million from the current fiscal year. Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to sign the budget.
Marketing plans will be presented to the Board of Directors of Visit Florida, which will meet Tuesday in St. Augustine.
Attendees at this week's meeting made no mention of recent travel advice given by advocacy groups to people of color, Hispanics, and LGBTQ people protesting policies championed by DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The meeting also did not include discussion of DeSantis' conflict with The Walt Disney Company over 2022 legislation that would restrict the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
Florida attracted about 137.6 visitors in 2022, up 12.9% from 2021 and up 5% from 2019, the last full year of travel before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The majority of visitors to Florida still come from out of state, with trips to Florida out of state up 28% in 2019 compared to last year.
“Improve beaches and theme parks by encouraging travelers to experience the endless adventures that await them and let them see a new Florida every time they return, including adventures like biking and kayaking. In addition, we will continue to recognize Florida as a key market and encourage more travel to the state;Brett compares
Florida's higher tourist ranking comes as Visit California is also targeting tourism spending, which is expected to reach $154.4 billion this year. The California travel agency received $95 million in marketing support from lawmakers.
Florida travel spending will reach $122.9 billion in 2022, up 9% from 2019, according to the US Travel Association.
Travel spending in New York reached $100 billion last year, up 12% from 2019. In 2022, 54 million people visited New York alone, compared to 66.6 million in 2019. to reach 63.3 million tourists this year.
Florida's overall marketing plan will primarily target U.S. travelers who have expanded tourism to the state as business begins to recover in 2020 after the pandemic ends. Laiken said the plan would be more regionally focused than a "one size fits all" approach.
"Our story will raise awareness of Florida's recreational opportunities," Laiken said. “Improve beaches and theme parks by encouraging travelers to experience the endless adventures that await them and let them see a new Florida every time they return, including adventures like biking and kayaking. In addition, we will continue to recognize Florida as a key market and encourage more travel to the state;
Visit Orlando estimates that the Central Florida community attracted 74 million visitors last year, most of whom came from other parts of Florida.
Liken said a "significant" amount of dollars given to Florida for tourism marketing will go toward attracting international travelers who have averaged longer stays and spent more money in the past. But Laiken said there are no fixed budget figures for international marketing.
Jacob Pewitt Yancey, director of consumer experience and analytics at Visit Florida, said the state has seen a slight increase in the number of new families traveling to Florida since the start of the pandemic, while the average out-of-state travel has risen.
“In 2021 and 2022, local visitors behaved more like foreign visitors than usual,” Pewit Yancey said. “We have increased the average length of stay by a day or two. And they have increased the amount of money they spend per person to $100 a day than before the pandemic.”
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