We’ll celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week—recognizing our industry’s critical role in powering economies, communities and connections.
You won’t want to miss an exciting performance and thought-provoking keynote address:
Blue Man Group: The Blue Man Group will take center stage, bringing their iconic energy to our luncheon with a special performance. Having captivated over 50 million people across cultures and languages, The Blue Man Group returns to Orlando with a new home at ICON Park featuring the show’s signature mix of art, live music, comedy, non-verbal storytelling and audience participation.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Keynote: Mitch Mitchem, CEO of HIVE Interactive and a pioneer in integrating AI with human skills development, is a true advocate for an AI-augmented future. Mitch will share practical insights on how AI is shaping industries and empowering individuals without sacrificing jobs or freedoms. From building a successful tech company to training over 27,000 people in real-world AI applications, Mitch’s expertise and straight-talking style make him a can’t-miss speaker.
Visit Orlando will also share an industry update, and this event always serves as a great opportunity to network with industry professionals, business leaders and community members.
Secure your spot today—It's an exciting opportunity to experience the perfect blend of entertainment and innovation.
To purchase corporate tables, email Visit Orlando’s senior member sales manager, Kelly Kinney.
Spotlighting Wekiva High School’s Culinary Program
As part of Visit Orlando’s Tourism Benefits You program that seeks to educate our community on the opportunities within our industry, we’re spotlighting the incredible work happening at Wekiva High School’s culinary magnet program. It's more than just a culinary program—it’s a launchpad for future chefs, restaurant managers, and hospitality professionals. These students get to go out into the Orlando community and learn directly from hospitality professionals, making valuable connections and gaining experience in a real-world setting.
Watch this video to hear directly from Chef Bates and his students on how tourism is shaping their aspirations and preparing them for success. This is what tourism is all about—not just creating amazing experiences for visitors, but fueling opportunities for our local students and future workforce. Their stories, and many others in our Tourism Benefits You campaign, showcase the real impact of our industry. Please take an opportunity to share this and the many stories of the Tourism Benefits You campaign on your social media channels, company newsletters and other channels.
Data & Trends
Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending March 8, 2025, was 81.4% down 0.9% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $237.95, up 5.5% from last year. Room night demand trailed prior year by 0.6%.
Across the Industry
Smokemade Meats and Eats - Photo by Lisa Wilk.
Orlando’s Michelin Guide Selection Grows To 58 With 6 New Additions
The MICHELIN Guide added 14 new restaurants to its Florida selection—Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. These new establishments are marked as “New” on guide.michelin.com and are immediately recognized as "Recommended." The restaurants can also potentially earn a Bib Gourmand or Star at the Florida MICHELIN Guide Ceremony on April 17 at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Orlando’s newly “Recommended” restaurants include:
Bánh Mì Boy
Gyukatsu Rose
Kai Kai
Smokemade Meats and Eats
Walala Hand-Pulled Noodle House
Bar Kada
According to Michelin, “Orlando continues its run as one of the most exciting food scenes, with a variety of options ranging from Vietnamese and Chinese to Japanese and barbecue.” Congratulations to the new Orlando honorees!
Around the Destination
L to R: Lisa Messina, Visit Orlando; Maria Triscari, International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce; Visit Orlando’s President and CEO Casandra Matej; and Danielle Hollander, Visit Orlando
Featured Presenter at The I-Drive Chamber Luncheon
The International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce held its March general monthly meeting at the Rosen Plaza Hotel yesterday. The chamber brings together its members and attendees to learn from guest speakers who inform and educate on the new and exciting developments taking place in the International Drive Resort Area, as well as challenges related to the tourism industry.
Visit Orlando was the featured presenter with a panel discussion between Lisa Messina (chief sales officer), Danielle Hollander (chief marketing officer) and myself to update attendees on 2024 destination results, Visit Orlando’s key strategies for 2025 and more details on trends and programs in market for the first quarter of the year including our Winter Doesn’t Exist campaign in three markets in cold weather climates and first meetings and conventions CoLab meeting.
Welcoming BCD Travel to Orlando
Orlando welcomed BCD Travel, a leading travel management company providing meetings and events management and global consultancy services, for its FAM Team Meeting at Rosen Shingle Creek. Since partnering with BCD Travel in 2023, Visit Orlando has helped secure nearly 200,000 room nights, showcasing the destination as a premier meetings location.
During the event, I provided welcome remarks to the team and highlighted new and expanded accommodations, venues, attractions, and experiences on the way. This includes Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek’s addition of 90,000 square feet of meeting space with its new Waterside expansion, as well as Orlando International Airport's new South Terminal Complex, which added 15 gates and world-class amenities.
Visit Orlando Engaged!
L to R: Jaime Lynn Paton, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine; Barbara Balaguras, Visit Orlando; Hayat Pronovost, CMP, Visit Orlando; Heidi Henning, National Association of Realtors; Buffy Levy, North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers; Brandon Sparling, Heartland Dental; and Visit Orlando’s President and CEO, Casandra Matej
Promoting Orlando to Business Leaders & Clients in Chicago
This week, I represented Orlando at the Chicago Industry Lunch at Le Colonial Chicago. I connected with several clients representing major conferences, including the National Association of Realtors’ NAR NXT, The Realtor Experience (Annual Convention & Tradeshow), which attracts 20,000 attendees and is expected to be held in Orlando in 2028; and the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) Show, which draws over 20,000 attendees and will come to Orlando in 2027. Representatives of Heartland Dental and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine were also a part of the meeting.
Additionally, I joined industry CEOs at a dinner event where we discussed issues impacting our businesses and shared best practices, concerns, and successes. Representatives included Mike Fraser, CEO of the College of American Pathologists, whose organization is hosting CP25 at the Marriott World Center Orlando in September 2025; Bob Moore, executive director of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, whose Annual Convention and Scientific Seminars will return to Orlando in 2026 and 2029 at the Hilton Signia Bonnet Creek; and Hal Wolf, CEO of HIMSS, which holds its Annual Meeting in Orlando on a rotating basis on even years.
Wesley Costa, Visit Orlando’s director of international marketing, with Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business students.
Rollins College’s Crummer Graduate School of Business Speaking Engagement
Wesley Costa, Visit Orlando’s Director of International Marketing, returned to his alma mater, Rollins College, to share insights with Crummer Graduate School of Business students on The Power of International Marketing for a Destination Marketing Organization. He discussed how Visit Orlando conducts strategic campaigns across key international markets to drive engagement and travel demand, explored how imagery, headlines, and tone vary across markets and outlined how strategic partnerships with Brand USA, Aer Lingus, and Virgin strengthen Visit Orlando’s presence in key European markets.
L to R: Visit Orlando’s Brandon Dodrill, Nate Shelton, Jasmin Hough, Dipika Hernandez and Ian Suarez
Educating Visit Orlando Members at Power Lunch
Visit Orlando’s membership team hosted a sold-out Power Lunch with over 100 attendees at Isleworth Country Club. Power Lunches foster connections among members and offer learning sessions on various engaging topics. This event, moderated by Brandon Dodrill, Visit Orlando’s manager of membership, featured a panel from Visit Orlando's global marketing team, including Jasmin Hough, Dipika Hernandez, Nate Shelton and Ian Suarez. The panelists discussed the organization's marketing campaigns, how our team shares destination stories, and ways members can get involved to maximize their benefits and promote Orlando through multiple channels.
Take advantage of the membership team's Member Meet-Up on April 16 at Norman's Orlando with a feature presentation from Chef Norman. This event is open to both Visit Orlando members and non-members.
L to R: Leah Nash, Timacua; Misty Goff, Visit Orlando; Anda Ariail, Arts & Culture Alliance City of Winter Park; Thali Sugisawa, United Arts; Zac Alfson, Orlando Family Stage; Justin Williams, Alfond Inn; and Christine Haughney, Orlando Ballet
Promoting Cultural Tourism in Orlando
Misty Goff, Visit Orlando’s senior director of marketing, participated in a panel discussion at Orlando Family Stage around cultural tourism. Visit Orlando provided insights on how we are working to position Orlando as an arts destination and amplify arts and culture messaging into our marketing efforts to inspire visitors to make it part of their vacation plans.
