As part of our domestic winter campaign, Visit Orlando brought sunshine to New York City’s Winter Village at Bryant Park for our third annual Warm Up with Visit Orlando consumer activation.
More than 32,000 New Yorkers came out to soak in the sun at our Orlando Family Fun Day after a dreary winter weekend. Families captured memories in our popular “Sun Globe” and “Love Orlando” greenery wall, sipped hot chocolate and bundled up with branded orange scarfs.
Attendees also had the opportunity to join us for fun family games and a chance to win Orlando prizes and ice skate to a sunny Orlando Playlist at our Orlando Skate Nights. Participants shared they were excited to see Orlando back again and look forward to the team coming to town annually to help them escape their winter blues and dream of Orlando.
Visit Orlando’s Winter Doesn’t Exist campaign ad in Times Square.
The Warm Up with Visit Orlando consumer activation is one component of our seasonal Winter Doesn’t Exist campaign, which runs in three core markets: U.S., Canada, and the UK from mid-November to mid-April. It positions Orlando as the top destination for a winter escape and drives travel demand to the destination.
The campaign features TV ads, dynamic weather billboards showing the real-time Orlando temperature, digital advertising, social media content and high-impact out-of-home advertising placements, like this impressive four-screen takeover in Times Square with a defrosting effect.
Doug’s Winter Party host shares reaction to viral invitation on the TODAY Show.
Adding to our escape the winter theme, we are always looking for ways to be a part of viral conversations. On TikTok, 87-year-old Doug Turner sparked buzz by hand-delivering invitations to his winter party, Doug’s Winter Party. Visit Orlando jumped in on the viral moment and surprised Doug and his neighbor with a trip to Orlando to escape winter.
This fun and timely collaboration led to our Visit Orlando hat being featured in the popular party live stream and recap on the TODAY Show. This opportunity has already generated 1.3M impressions and 120,000 engagements on TikTok.
We are excited to be a part of this viral feel-good story and can’t wait to host Doug and his neighbor in Orlando, where they can escape chilly Pennsylvania.
2024 Florida MICHELIN Guide Ceremony
Orlando To Host 2025 Michelin Guide Florida Ceremony
The MICHELIN Guide announced Orlando as the host city for the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Florida ceremony, set for April 17 at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. At the event, the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Florida edition will be revealed as chefs will find out if their restaurants earned a MICHELIN Star or another MICHELIN Guide distinction. We look forward to showcasing and recognizing the incredible range of culinary talent in Orlando and throughout the entire state.
Data & Trends
Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending Feb. 15, 2025, was 84.7% up 8.3% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $253.85, up 9% from last year. Room night demand surpassed prior year by 8.8%.
Orlando hotels’ weekly room demand reached the highest levels since March 2023. The strong performance was helped by the International Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo,) which met at the Orange County Convention Center Feb. 10-12, 2025. Monday, which is typically one of the lowest occupancy days of the week, reported an incredible 92.1% occupancy, which was almost as high as the weekend occupancy (92.5%).
Across the Industry
Celebrating Destination Professionals Day
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Visit Orlando joined Destinations International, along with destination marketing organizations (DMOs) from across the nation, to celebrate Destination Professionals Day. This day honors the individuals and organizations that fuel tourism, drive economic growth, and enhance community vitality worldwide.
At Visit Orlando, we take pride in serving as a catalyst for creating an environment where the community flourishes. Our most valued asset, our team members, actively engage with local businesses, tourism partners, and community leaders, ensuring the continued success and growth of our destination. Together, we are shaping a future where tourism supports not only the economy but the well-being of the entire community, strengthening Orlando’s position as a global leader in travel and tourism.
Around the Destination
Pictured: Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of Meeting Professional International (MPI); Vickie Keliher, Visit Orlando; Kathy Hogan, Orange County Convention Center (OCCC); Keri Burns, OCCC; Tanya Philyaw, MPI; and Jessie States, MPI
Pitching Orlando As Host Destination For Signature Event
The Visit Orlando and Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) teams pulled out the stops to welcome MPI and pitch Orlando as a future host for Meeting Professional International (MPI) World Education Congress (WEC) for 2029. WEC is MPI’s signature event, drawing approximately 2,500 event professionals annually. The event aims to provide leading edge education, share the latest industry innovations and ultimately take risks in its design and implementation, so that attendees can glean from its learnings. The team highlighted what’s changed around the destination since July 2011—the last time MPI WEC was hosted in Orlando—and provided updates on the OCCC’s upcoming expansion.
Visit Orlando’s membership team hosts a Member Meet-Up at Sixty Vines in Dr. Phillips.
Fostering Collaboration At Visit Orlando’s Member Meet-up
Visit Orlando’s membership team hosted its first Member Meet-Up of the year at Sixty Vines in Dr. Phillips. The sold-out event drew 100 members, creating an atmosphere of connection and collaboration. Member Meet-Ups create opportunities for meaningful conversations and connections for members. Attendees engaged with Visit Orlando’s membership and destination experience teams, exchanging ideas, sharing insights, and expanding their professional networks. The destination experience team plays a vital role in connecting convention groups of all sizes with unique off-site experiences. Through these efforts, Visit Orlando continues to solidify its commitment to enhancing the overall experience for both members and visitors.
Visit Orlando Engaged!
L to R: João Lucas Quental Novaes de Almeida, Consul General of Brazil in Orlando; Mahala Geronasso, UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management; Juliana Tkatch, UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management; Sueli Bonaparte, Brazil-Florida Business Council; Karen Tavares, UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management; Patrick Yvars, Visit Orlando; Fabiana Tourinho, Kaluah Tours; and Claudemir Oliveira, Seeds of Dreams Institute
Brazil Tourism & Hospitality Summit 2025
Visit Orlando was proud to participate in the Brazil Summit, hosted by the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. The event offered a dynamic mix of discussion panels, presentations, and networking opportunities, where students and Brazilian entrepreneurs connected with industry leaders. During the session, Visit Orlando presented an overview of our organization, highlighting our role and our commitment to supporting the community. We also shared insights on the significant impact of travel on the Central Florida region, along with our strategic marketing and sales initiatives we execute in Brazil to attract more Brazilian visitors to our destination.
Allisson Dos Santos, Visit Olando’s public relations representative, with Mexican journalists during a press trip.
Visit Orlando Hosts Mexican Journalists
A key strategy for our public relations team is organizing press trips that allow media and influencers to experience the destination firsthand and share with their audiences. Our public relations team recently hosted Mexican journalists representing Grupo Multimedios (4M), El Economista (3M), Cultura Colectiva (40M), Reforma’s De Viaje (14.5M), Food and Travel México (179K) and El Horizonte (300K). They experienced theme parks, attractions and arts and culture activities. Additionally, they stayed at the Four Seasons Orlando and the Walt Disney World’s Yacht Club resorts and dined at Capa, Ravello, Chima Steakhouse, the Pinery and Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Beach Club Resort.
L to R: Robert Hattox, Travel + Leisure; Amanda Harper, Booking.com; and Visit Orlando’s Robert Leavitt
HSMAI Central Florida Market Update
This week, the Central Florida Chapter of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) hosted an event at the Castle Hotel, focusing on how the new Universal Orlando Resort theme park will drive demand from international markets. HSMAI Central Florida works to create success for the region’s hospitality leaders by boosting hotel business and supporting their partners. The discussion was geared toward sales and marketing leaders in the hospitality industry. Robert Leavitt, Visit Orlando's senior market research and insights analyst, joined partners from Hotelbeds and WebBeds for a panel on international updates for the Central Florida market. Robert shared insights on Orlando's international visitation, current travel trends, and the potential impact of new expansions on the destination.
Louise Pepper, Visit Orlando’s UK public relations representative, at TravMedia’s IMM.
Visit Orlando Participates In Uk Media Marketplace
Visit Orlando participated in TravMedia's International Media Marketplace (IMM) Feb. 17-18 in London. As a leading UK media networking event, IMM connects the travel industry with the most prominent journalists, editors, influencers and more. 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. From the latest “What’s New,” to the ever-expanding culinary scene, outdoor adventure, arts and culture, neighborhoods and hidden hotspots, creative discussions set the stage for several exciting opportunities with the region’s most influential media.
