With more than 90 days of Halloween events this fall, Orlando is the Halloween Vacation Capital. To promote our extensive collection of Halloween events and drive visitation to our destination, our public relations team secured a “Freaky Friday” Halloween and fall events Satellite Media Tour at Leu Gardens, perfectly timed for Friday, Sept. 13!
Satellite media tours (SMTs) are a publicity tactic where a spokesperson participates in a series of interviews with multiple television stations from a single location via satellite. It’s an effective way to reach key markets across the country over the course of a couple of hours.
We teamed up with bilingual travel expert Kathy Buccio, who conducted the interviews in front of a special "Happy Frights Haunting Nights" installation, representing the two Halloween-themed events held at Leu Gardens from Creative City Project and the Memoir Agency.
Kathy spoke with English and Spanish broadcast stations in 25 key markets, including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Miami, Tampa, Dallas, Atlanta and Washington D.C. showcasing Orlando’s unique Halloween offerings throughout the entire destination.
Chef Richard Blais on Four Flamingos & Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining
Celebrity chef Richard Blais is bringing his signature creativity and excitement to Visit Orlando's Magical Dining presented by Orlando Health at Four Flamingos - A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen. In a unique video, Chef Blais hints at what makes this event so special for his team and the guests they serve. Running from now until September 30, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining offers diners a chance to experience some of Orlando’s best dishes. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear directly from Chef Blais and catch a glimpse of the magic Four Flamingos has in store and visit OrlandoMagicalDining.com to explore menus and make your dinner reservations.
Data & Trends
Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending Sept. 7, 2024, was 55.3% which was down 4.7% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $156.48, which was down 2.2% from last year. Room night demand trailed prior year by 3.9%.
Orlando hotels were not unique in their poor performance last week. All but seven of the Top 25 Markets, according to STR, reported a decline year-over-year (YoY) for occupancy. U.S. hotels as a whole declined 4.2% YoY and Florida hotels were also down 4.7%.
Across the Industry
Flamenco de Sol, Courtesy Emily Wray and Fusion Fest
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Hispanic Heritage Month returns to Orlando from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, 2024, celebrating the rich culture and history of U.S. citizens hailing from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Nearly 35% of Central Florida’s population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, and we’re highlighting some of the best ways to celebrate in our latest blog story. From festive events and shows to specialty dining and more, read on to learn more: Una Gran Celebración: Hispanic Heritage Month Events & More
Around the Destination
L to R: Visit Orlando board member and Area Managing Director at Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando Barb Bowden; Visit Orlando’s President & CEO Casandra Matej; Landra Womack, Orange County Tax Collector Office; and Visit Orlando’s Kristin Westover, with Orange County Sheriff's at CFHLA’s Patriot Remembrance Breakfast.
Patriot Remembrance Breakfast: The Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association hosted its 2024 Patriot Day Remembrance Breakfast in remembrance of 9/11. This annual event pays tribute to the brave men and women in law enforcement, fire rescue, EMS, and hospitality security who go above and beyond in their service. The morning was especially powerful, with keynote speaker Rick Kettell, former FAA Air Traffic Manager, sharing his firsthand account of tracking Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, which tragically crashed in Shanksville, PA. It was a moving reminder of the courage and resilience shown on that day, as well as the importance of continuing to honor those who protect and serve our community.
Visit Orlando team members and domestic and international agency partners connect during Marketing & Communications Agency Summit.
Marketing & Communications Agency Summit: This week, Visit Orlando hosted our domestic and international agency partners for creative, media buying and planning and public relations with representatives from the U.S., Canada, UK, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. Along with brainstorming and collaborating on 2025 plans, we gave them an immersive update on Orlando's latest offerings to help them better share our story around the world.
Scholarship recipient Brenda Sands with Visit Orlando’s Kristin Westover.
Women’s Executive Council Scholarship: Visit Orlando partnered with the Women’s Executive Council of Orlando (WEC) and awarded a scholarship to Brenda Sands to help pursue her dream of a career in nonprofit management. Visit Orlando is pleased to support WEC's mission to empower women in our community. Congratulations to Brenda and all the scholarship recipients!
Visit Orlando team members host representatives from the Central Florida Hospitality Career Academies Advisory Board.
Hospitality Career Academies: Last week, Visit Orlando hosted the Central Florida Hospitality Career Academies Advisory Board, a diverse group of industry leaders from theme parks, restaurants, hotels, local attractions, event management, and more, along with educators dedicated to shaping the future of our workforce. Visit Orlando is committed to nurturing the next generation of talent and inspiring the future leaders of our industry.
Visit Orlando Engaged!
Visit Orlando team members provide meals to Orange County Fire Station 70 in remembrance of 9/11.
Adopt-a-Station Program: As part of the Adopt-a-Station Program, Visit Orlando provided meals to local fire stations in Orange County. This year, we adopted Orange County Fire Station 31 in Commissioner Nicole Wilson’s district and Fire Station 70 in Commissioner Mayra Uribe’s district. Our team members visited each station to express gratitude for our firefighters, who serve both Central Florida’s residents and millions of travelers to our destination.
Visit Orlando’s VP of Travel Industry Sales Elaine Blazys with officials from WenChang, Hainan Island, China.
Welcoming Officials Hainan Island: Visit Orlando welcomed officials from WenChang, Hainan Island, China, home to the International Space City, Space Science Museum and various space-related tourism attractions. The delegation visited Orlando to gain insights from an established global tourism destination and visited the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to explore ways to expand WenChang’s offerings. Dr. Liu Chong, Mayor of WenChang, expressed gratitude to Visit Orlando and our partners at Kennedy Space Center for providing valuable insights into how we sell and market the Theme Park Capital of the World.
