Each February, Black History Month offers an important opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans who have influenced Orlando’s culture and creativity. This year, we are sharing stories that highlight the richness of Orlando’s Black history and the people, places and businesses that continue to define our destination today.

We kicked off the month with a partnership with BuzzFeed to launch the “100 Years of Black Excellence” editorial hub in honor of Black History Month. Running through February, the hub features:

• Twenty articles celebrating Black culture along with videos from Visit Orlando’s Moments In‑Between campaign.
• An Orlando feature on “Things Black People Don’t Do,” from popular social influencer Selorm.
• Display banners driving to our website.

Across our social channels, we’re collaborating with content creators to spotlight Black-owned restaurants including Smokemade Meats + Eats, Selam, Chicken Fire, Cow & Cheese, Mardee’s Bistro Lounge and Sister Honey’s, helping residents and visitors discover and support the local businesses that are part of Orlando’s vibrant Black community. Explore here.

On VisitOrlando.com, we published the annual guide Heritage & Heart: Celebrate Black History Month in Orlando, featuring events, exhibits and cultural touchpoints throughout the destination, and content creator Christina Petsos updated her round-up of Black-owned restaurants offering readers an up-to-date list of local favorites.

Beyond February, residents and visitors can explore cultural landmarks such as the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture, Historic Hannibal Square, the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts and permanent African American history exhibits at the Orange County Regional History Center. Learn more here.

As people explore these offerings and connect with the individuals who bring them to life, we hope you feel the pride, resilience and creativity that have shaped Orlando’s Black history and continue to inspire our community today.

Visit Orlando Ads During the Olympics

In collaboration with Visit Orlando’s North American media agency, ICON International, we secured over 250 TV spots at no cost to air during the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies and the first week of the Games. Visit Orlando’s new Moments in Between family and adult advertising spots are running in key domestic markets, including New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

This added-value media package enhances our current Winter Doesn't Exist broadcast campaign and delivers more than 15 million additional impressions for Orlando. The exposure positions our destination during one of the most-watched global events of the year and reinforces Orlando’s appeal as a top warm‑weather destination.

2023 Audit Resolution

After more than two years, I’m pleased to share that we have reached the conclusion of the 2023 Audit. As shared at the Feb. 10 Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting, we voluntarily updated our agreement with the County to ensure even greater clarity and transparency moving forward.

We always approached this audit with a spirit of collaboration. We viewed it as an opportunity to strengthen our operations and reinforce our long‑standing partnership with Orange County. Visit Orlando has already implemented many of the requested changes, updated policies, and completed staff training. Our actions reflect our good‑faith commitment to continuous improvement and to being the strongest possible partner for Orange County.

As part of this process, we reclassified $10 million to be recognized as TDT funds—these dollars did not originate from hotel tax collections. These were revenues from other sources, such as COVID‑era ERC funds and participation fees paid by members for trade events. At the County’s request, we reclassified these funds to ensure alignment with the Comptroller’s guidance.

With the audit now closed and our agreement clarified, we are pleased to be fully aligned with both the County and the Comptroller—and ready to move forward.

During public comment at the February 10 meeting, 18 Visit Orlando members and community partners spoke on our behalf, with many other supporters in attendance. Thank you to everyone who attended, shared their story and showed support.

With this work behind us, we can now return our complete focus to our mission: inspiring and growing global travel to Orlando for the economic and community benefit of our region.

Data & Trends

Weekly Hotel Metrics

Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending Feb. 7, 2026 was 77.9%, down 1.6% from the same week last year. Room night demand trailed last year by 0.7%. The average daily rate (ADR) for the week was $228.02, mostly unchanged from last year. This week’s small dip in hotel performance is likely due to the shift of MegaCon, which was held at the convention center this week last year but moved to mid-March this year. Orlando’s occupancy rate surpassed both the national and Florida averages. 

Across the Industry

Orlando to Host RCMA in 2027 Emerge

This year’s RCMA Emerge brought exciting news for our destination, as attendees learned that the conference will be held in Orlando next year. With approximately 900 attendees, the event provided an important opportunity to build relationships with faith‑based meeting planners and suppliers, strengthening our presence in one of the industry’s most relationship‑driven segments.

During the event, our team connected with planners alongside several of our hotel partners and representatives from the Orange County Convention Center. Visit Orlando’s National Accounts Director Collette Johnson represented Orlando on site, joined by Account Manager Aitza Diaz and me. Together, we highlighted how Orlando’s world‑class venues, accessibility and welcoming community support purposeful, mission‑focused gatherings. 

U.S. Travel Association’s 2026 Strategic Priorities

The travel industry is operating in an increasingly complex and demanding environment than we’ve seen in decades. In response, the U.S. Travel Association has sharpened its 2026 strategic priorities, establishing a clear framework for how the organization will advocate for the industry, support its members and deliver impact in the year ahead. As a member of the U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors, I thought it was important to share with our local community the priorities that define who U.S. Travel is, what it stands for and how it will drive results during a pivotal moment for travel and tourism.

U.S. Travel Association’s 2026 priorities include:

• Identity: Elevate Travel’s Stature: Proactively shaping how travel is understood and valued in America and around the world. At a time when confidence and clarity matter, the organization is leading the narrative with policymakers, global partners and the public — ensuring travel’s impact economic and societal impact is considered before decisions are made, not after harm occurs.
   
• Advocacy: Advance Policies That Enable Growth: Reducing friction and preventing damage to the travel ecosystem by advancing pro-growth policies that strengthen international inbound travel, opposing actions that deter visitors and building a coalition of administration and congressional champions who will fight for travel as an economic priority. At the same time, U.S. Travel is pushing to modernize infrastructure, security and regulation so its travel system can compete and perform at a global level.
   
• Value: Strengthen Member Return On Investment: Delivering actionable intelligence, meaningful connections and programs that help members navigate change and drive growth through timely data, high-impact convenings and a more personalized, modern experience.
   
• Performance: Build a future-ready association: Operating as a disciplined, high-performing organization by modernizing systems, focusing resources where they deliver the greatest impact and building a resilient team able to execute at scale.

Learn more

Around the Destination

The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes Earns Historic 5-Star Rating

Orlando’s hospitality and culinary scene continues to reach new heights. The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes has earned a five-star rating in the Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Star Awards — marking the first time a Central Florida hotel has received this honor. Additionally, Victoria & Albert’s at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, earned a five-star award, underscoring our region’s growing reputation for world-class service and exceptional guest experiences. This year’s Star Awards are the most expansive in Forbes Travel Guide’s 68-year history, with evaluations conducted across more than 100 countries.

In total, 17 Orlando-area properties were recognized across hotel, spa and restaurant categories. Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Learn more

Volunteer as a DECA Judge

Supporting Florida’s future workforce is essential to our destination’s long-term success. On Friday, March 6, Florida DECA will host its statewide Career Development Conference at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista. The conference is expected to bring approximately 2,400 high school students from across the state to compete in real-world business simulations and present solutions to industry challenges.

Florida DECA is seeking business professionals to fill two judging shifts: 7:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 5 p.m. — with 100 judges needed for each session. Volunteers may sign up for either or both shifts.

By serving as a volunteer judge, you’ll help students connect classroom learning to real-world business practices and build confidence in their professional skills, strengthening the talent pipeline for careers vital to our tourism economy. I encourage you to consider volunteering and to share the Volunteer Sign Up link with your teams and networks.

Learn more

CFHLA Hospitality & Culinary Student Scholarships Now Open

The CFHLA Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2026 Hospitality & Culinary Student Scholarships. The scholarships are open to full- and part-time students pursuing a hospitality- or culinary‑related major, minor or certificate.

Opportunities include:

• 2026 Graduating High School Seniors & Full‑Ride Scholarships
• 2026 Currently Enrolled College Students
• 2026 CFHLA Allied & Lodging Member Employee/Family Member Scholarships
• NEW: 2026 CFHLA Employee/Family Member Nursing Scholarship

These scholarships provide an important opportunity for students pursuing careers that directly support the continued growth of our industry. Please share this opportunity within your networks to help develop the skilled workforce our destination depends on —supporting future chefs, hospitality leaders and service professionals who contribute to Orlando’s economic strength and visitor experience. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2026.

Learn more

Coming Together for Our Community During the Cold Fronts

During the recent cold fronts, our tourism community once again demonstrated its compassion and commitment to serving Central Florida. Thanks to the swift response from partners, hotels, resorts and community members, nearly 1,000 blankets were collected and distributed to residents seeking warmth at Orange County’s Emergency Management warming centers. Your generosity provided comfort and safety during a critical moment and served as a powerful reminder of how our industry comes together for the greater good.

Visit Orlando works closely year-round with the Orange County Office of Emergency Management, and this effort highlighted the strength of that collaboration. By stepping up in times of need, we not only support our neighbors, but also reinforce the essential role our tourism industry plays in strengthening community resilience.  Thank you to Disney World Resorts, Hilton Orlando, Homewood Suites Orlando, Hyatt Regency Orlando, Loews Hotels at Universal, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Orlando North and all who contributed — your support made a meaningful difference for families across our destination.

Visit Orlando Engaged!

Visit Orlando Hosts Spanish Tour Operator Familiarization Tour

This week, Visit Orlando partnered with Iberia Airlines, Universal Orlando Resort and World2Meet to host a familiarization tour for Spanish tour operator Icarion. The group experienced Universal Orlando Resort, toured several of World2Meet’s top-selling hotels, attended an Orlando Magic game, and visited ICON Park and The Mall at Millenia. This activation underscores Visit Orlando’s commitment to growing the Spanish market with strong partners and leveraging new air service to create fresh opportunities for the destination.

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