Research shows nearly two-thirds of Americans are in a “ready to travel” state of mind, and we’re certainly seeing that data reflected in key indicators across our destination.
Driven by pent-up demand, spring break and national vaccination efforts, Metro Orlando hotel occupancy for the week of March 7-13 reached 54.3%, our highest rate since the pandemic.
Theme parks are consistently hitting daily capacity limits, and in some cases selling out days or weeks in advance.
And Orlando International Airport is predicting 1.9 million passengers between Feb. 28 and April 13, a 45% increase over last year’s spring break season.
When you consider that, on average, each visitor to Orlando generates $1,000 in economic impact, air-based spring break travel alone will produce a substantial boost for our community. Those arriving by car will add even more monetary impact.
As we move ahead into these more hopeful spring and summer travel seasons, Visit Orlando maintains our commitment to working with member and community partners toward a full recovery. With our multistate marketing campaign, The Wonder Remains, extended through June, and the initiatives you will read about below, we are determined to be top of mind for those “ready to travel.”
The Wonder Awaits You: An Orlando Virtual Travel Experience
We’re less than a week away from our first-ever virtual travel experience for consumers, The Wonder Awaits You!, on March 25. Our marketing and publicity teams have been promoting this event extensively to potential visitors across the U.S., securing articles in Travel Pulse and Attractions Magazine, as well as other publications and blogs. Registration is still open, but slots are filling up fast. Register now and utilize this toolkit to encourage others to sign up.
State of Recovery: April 6 Webinar
After attending next week’s virtual travel experience, make sure to join us April 6 for an in-depth look at where the travel and tourism industry is now and what Visit Orlando is doing to help spark recovery. I’ll start by sharing my vision and priorities for recovery and collaboration, then we’ll cover department-specific updates from our leaders in market research & insights, marketing, communications, convention and group sales. Registration is now open.
Spring Break Publicity Highlights
Visit Orlando continues to generate spring break publicity for our destination, with recent coverage in USA Today, Business Insider, Tribune News, Travel + Leisure and many other outlets. These articles feature a variety of positive angles, including our theme parks and attractions, hotels, outdoor experiences, safety and more. USA Today summed it up well by reporting that “Orlando’s safety protocols to ‘raise the bar on safety’ have reassured visitors that it's doing everything it can to maintain a safe and clean environment for tourism.” Combined, our spring break coverage has generated nearly 500 million impressions.
Travel Trends and Safety
As more Americans begin to travel, destinations across the U.S. are taking action to address the new climate. This week, Maria Henson, our senior manager for market research and insights, represented Visit Orlando on a panel of industry experts hosted by Destination Analysts. Their discussion focused on spring break travel trends and best practices to promote safety during seasons of heightened visitation. Watch the recording here.
Encouraging Future Recovery in International Markets
Finally, while international travel may not be possible today, we’re still giving potential visitors outside the U.S. the chance to dream about Orlando and plan their trips. Special editions of VisitOrlando.com are now available for people in Canada, Ireland, Great Britain, Mexico and Colombia. We also offer our website in Spanish and Portuguese, providing residents of key global markets everything they need to know about visiting the Theme Park Capital of the World, and planting the seeds for a stronger recovery.
ACROSS THE INDUSTRY
Six leadership lessons from the new CEO of Visit Orlando
Rosen Shingle Creek to host inaugural National Gymnastics Festival
Central Florida prepares for spring break, expects big crowds
Nonstop flights from Honolulu coming to Orlando
Florida unemployment rate drops to 4.8%
Vaccinated Americans are ready to travel
The 30th Annual Florida Film Festival announces program lineup
Super Nintendo World now open at Universal Studios Japan
In your service,
Casandra Matej | President & CEO
Visit Orlando