This week, we celebrated Juneteenth National Independence Day on June 19, embracing our city’s rich and diverse cultural heritage while spotlighting the contributions of Orlando's African American community. Juneteenth serves as a significant reminder of the ongoing quest for equality and marks a pivotal historical moment that will always be commemorated.

Various events took place around the destination, including cultural expositions, educational forums, concerts and celebrations honoring notable African Americans, with more events scheduled this weekend.

June also marks African American Music Appreciation Month (also known as Black Music Month), established by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Black Music Month honors the profound musical contributions of African Americans, which enrich our nation's cultural heritage.

This month, Visit Orlando has partnered with iHeart Radio as part of our African American campaign on social and broadcast radio initiatives throughout Black Music Month. You can listen to a sample spot here, highlighting Orlando’s African American history and culture showcasing artists who have influenced our favorite music. This program is expected to reach an estimated 3.2 million impressions.

To discover more about Juneteenth and African American history and culture in Orlando, check out our Juneteenth blog, which lists events held in Orlando. Additionally, explore Visit Orlando’s African American Travel Guide, which highlights Orlando’s influential African American community, Black-owned businesses, and history and culture.

The Positive Impact of Netflix’s Hit Show “Somebody Feed Phil”

Two years ago, we pitched Phil Rosenthal, creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and host of Netflix’s “Somebody Feed Phil” to film his unscripted culinary travel show in Orlando. This collaboration came full circle when he joined us as the keynote speaker at Visit Orlando’s annual Travel & Tourism Event. In a Q&A discussion with Ricky Ly, founder of the local award-winning Orlando multimedia food and travel guide, TastyChomps.com., Rosenthal shared more about filming his show here, noting that “Orlando is one of the best food scene cities in America.”

The results of the dedicated Orlando episode in “Somebody Feed Phil”, which began airing in March, have been significant for many Orange County businesses. Listen to the local business owners, in their own words, describe how they have experienced amazing results from being featured on this popular show: Orlando Feeds Phil: A Boost for Local Businesses

Data & Trends

Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending June 15, 2024, was 70.9% which was down 4.9% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $187.85, which was flat from last year. Room night demand trailed prior year by 4.2%.

Around the Destination

Industry Insights Forum: Join us on Wednesday, June 26, as Visit Orlando and Expedia Group will host an Industry Insights Forum at UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. We’ll examine the current state of the travel industry with a lens on Orlando and provide a glimpse at the outlook for the remainder of 2024 and beyond. At the general session, “Orlando Market: Navigating Current Travel Trends,” we will share insights on changes in traveler behaviors and motivations with a snapshot of the 2023 Orlando traveler. Additional discussions will take place after the general session:

  • Navigating the Marketplace: Strategies for Success with Expedia Group
  • Attractions, Retail, and Travel Trends: Insights for Orlando & Central Florida
  • Don't Get Lost in Leads! Visit Orlando Hotel Leads Masterclass
  • Tap into Expertise: Unleash the Power of Service Request Optimization
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L to R: Walt Disney World’s Princess Tiana; Visit Orlando’s Danielle Hollander and Kathy Brown; and Walt Disney World‘s Prince Naveen

Travel & Tourism Summer Social: To continue the excitement surrounding the opening of Walt Disney World‘s newest attraction ”Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” at Magic Kingdom Park, they hosted a Travel & Tourism Summer Social at the Walt Disney World Store located in the heart of I-Drive. The event spotlighted the location and brought together industry professionals to meet the new Central Florida sales leadership team, explore new limited-time entertainment offerings and experiences at Walt Disney World Resort this summer.

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L to R: Visit Orlando’s Kathy Brown; Charles Hawkins, Tourist Development Council member; Jennifer Ervins, United Arts; Kelly Hyne, Orlando City Soccer; and Visit Orlando’s Jasmin Hough

Chow on Church: The Downtown Orlando Partnership hosted its inaugural food event, "Chow on Church," blending gastronomy with community at INTER&Co Stadium. Presented by the City of Orlando's Downtown Development Board, Chow on Church celebrates local downtown businesses. The event featured networking, food tastings and the chance to meet Orlando Pride players with attendees receiving two complimentary tickets for an upcoming Pride match. Participation supported downtown restaurants and benefited Parramore's New Image Youth Center. 

Visit Orlando Engaged!

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L to R: Canadian freelance writers and TMAC award winners Tim Johnson and Amy Rosen stand alongside Visit Orlando’s Amy Rodenbrock

Visit Orlando Attends TMAC Annual Conference: Visit Orlando’s public relations team attended the annual conference for the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) from June 12-15 in St. John’s, Canada. As part of the conference, the team participated in a two-day media marketplace, where they met with 23 media, content creators and travel influencers to pitch new story opportunities, each designed to broaden the understanding of the expansive visitor offering across the destination. Visit Orlando also had the opportunity to educate conference attendees about Orlando’s growing culinary scene by sponsoring “The Best Food/Drink” story award category at the TMAC Gala.

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Visit Orlando and Orlando hotel representatives attend Cvent CONNECT conference.

Cvent Conference: Visit Orlando and Orlando hotel representatives attended Cvent CONNECT, the annual conference for production professionals, experience makers and engagement experts. Cvent, a leading provider of meetings, events, and hospitality technology, hosts this global event, drawing over 140,000 hospitality professionals. Our team interacted with thousands of event professionals at the conference and learned from industry influencers, peers and leaders. Attending Cvent CONNECT is valuable because it lets our team stay current with the latest event technology trends and apply them to Visit Orlando's events.

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Visit Orlando’s Laura Kreutzer connects with travel advisors at Travel Planners International Open House.

Impacting Travel Advisors Globally: Our travel industry sales team participated in the Travel Planners International Open House, a tradeshow mixer attended by over 200 travel advisors nationwide. Additionally, they recently joined over 3,000 travel advisors at the annual Travel Leaders Network EDGE Conference. Travel Leaders Network, one of the largest global travel consortiums with over 100,000 advisors, books tens of thousands of hotel room nights annually for Orlando. During these events, we conducted destination training sessions and operated a booth at the trade show. We also delighted one travel advisor by winning our prize package, which included a two-night stay at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

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