Another year, another productive IMEX America 2025 experience for Visit Orlando’s convention sales, communications, marketing and events team and 25 Visit Orlando members and destination partners. IMEX is the largest U.S. trade show for the global meetings, events and incentive travel industry. The event attracts more than 15,800 meeting professionals, including more than 5,700 buyers from the U.S. and around the world.

During the four-day show the Visit Orlando Team and our members conducted more than 600 one-on-one and group business appointments with key decision-makers, senior buyers and third-party planners from across the U.S. When the trade show floor closed our team kept the business discussions and networking going by hosting client dinners and attending relationship-building client events.

During our popular Wake Up with Visit Orlando breakfast event, our team and members connected with nearly 500 more planners independent from the booth appointments.

IMEX is a key opportunity to speak directly to planners and share why they should choose Orlando for their next or future event. From the recent opening of a new theme park to the upcoming expansion of the Orange County Convention Center, our team shares all the new and upgraded attractions, meeting venues, accommodations and word-class service groups can expect from our destination. 

To help extend that message even further, we hosted meetings with trade journalists and podcasters from Smart Meetings, Meetings Today, Prevue, Exhibit City News, TSNN and NorthStar for interviews with Visit Orlando’s Chief Sales Officer Lisa Messina. 
 
Attending IMEX annually is a vital component of Visit Orlando’s sales and marketing strategy, fueling future business opportunities that benefit the entire region.

Data & Trends

August 2025 TDT Collections

Tourist Development Tax (TDT) collections received by Orange County for the August 2025 TDT collection month were $25,649,100. That is a 10.7% increase compared to August 2024. August 2025 marked a record-breaking month, reflecting the strongest collections for any August and underscoring sustained momentum in summer collections. The chart above shows the monthly year-over-year dollar amount change in TDT collections since October 2022.

Orlando’s hotel occupancy rose to 63.9% in August, a 2.5% increase over last year, with room demand increasing by a higher margin of 4.3%. The average daily rate (ADR) reached $164.07, up 2.3% from the previous year ($160.36). The Orange County Convention Center saw a 66.7% increase in citywide attendance, driven by major events such as Assemblies of God’s General Council and The Landscape Show. Short-term rentals across Metro Orlando posted an 18% jump in demand, though ADR dipped by 5%.

Weekly Hotel Metrics

Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending October 4, 2025, was 56.3%, down 8.1% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $172.83, down 4.8% from last year. Room night demand trailed last year by 6.5%.

Across the Industry

Orlando Named World Nominee in 2025 World Travel Awards

Orlando has been selected as a World nominee — the highest category — in the 2025 World Travel Awards, earning global recognition in the travel and tourism industry. The “World’s Leading” categories represent the top honors in the World Travel Awards program.

Orlando’s nominations include:

• World’s Leading City Break Destination 2025
• World’s Leading Theme Park Destination 2025

Additional regional and partner nominations:

• World’s Leading Theme Park Resort 2025: Universal Orlando Resort
• World’s Leading Theme Park Resort 2025: Walt Disney World
• World’s Leading Theme Park 2025: Walt Disney World
• World’s Leading Airport 2025: Orlando International Airport

Voting is open through Oct. 26, 2025, and travel professionals, media and tourism consumers are encouraged to participate. These honors reflect the collaborative efforts of our tourism community and why Orlando continues to lead the way in shaping the future of travel.

Around the Destination

2025 Pride Business Awards & Gala

On Sept. 27, Visit Orlando attended the 2025 Pride in Business Awards & Gala, hosted by The Pride Chamber Foundation at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport. As the organization’s largest annual fundraiser, the event recognized outstanding LGBTQ+ and Ally business owners, professionals and community leaders who continue to shape our region’s growing economy. Congratulations to Pride Chamber President Gina Duncan and the entire team on a powerful evening and for their continued leadership.

Orlando’s Literary Scene Shines at Judson’s Live

Visit Orlando joined the Literary Arts Council of Central Florida — co-founded by City of Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome — for an evening at Judson’s Live celebrating Orlando’s literary community. The event spotlighted upcoming initiatives, including the 34th Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam Festival, coming to Orlando for the first time in 2026, and the vision for LitLando, a signature festival aimed at establishing Orlando as a national hub for writers and poetry lovers.

Visit Orlando Engaged!

Trusted Partnerships Drive Repeat Business in Orlando

Long-standing relationships are the foundation of repeat business. Recently, Visit Orlando’s Destination Experience team hosted a site visit for Southern Natural Gas, an exhibitor at the upcoming National Association of Home Builders International Builders’ Show 2026, taking place Feb. 17–19 at the Orange County Convention Center. The show is the largest annual light construction event in the world, drawing tens of thousands of industry professionals from around the globe.

Southern Natural Gas is a longtime partner, having trusted Visit Orlando for more than a decade to help plan its Celebration Night each time the show returns to the city. During the recent visit, the team toured venues across Pointe Orlando and Disney Springs to help the client select the ideal location for its 450- to 500-person event.

These site visits showcase Orlando’s versatility and reinforce why the destination remains a top choice for clients. Each successful visit strengthens our reputation and drives future bookings, benefiting hotels, restaurants and local businesses.

Strengthening Connections at Cruise Planners Conference

Building strong relationships with travel advisors is key to driving visitation. Visit Orlando participated in the Cruise Planners annual Travel Advisor Conference, held Oct. 4–6, in Fort Lauderdale. As a preferred partner, we maintain a year-round marketing plan with this host agency — part of the Signature Travel Network consortium and home to more than 3,500 travel advisors across the U.S.

Our collaboration includes in-person and online destination training, presence at the annual trade show and title sponsorship of Cruise Planners’ Bootcamp event, held each April in Orlando. The Bootcamp features a trade show opportunity for Visit Orlando members. This strategic engagement keeps Orlando top of mind for travel sellers and creates valuable opportunities for our members to connect directly with travel advisors who influence travel decisions nationwide.

Visit Orlando Volunteers at United Against Poverty

As part of Visit Orlando’s ongoing commitment to service in our community, members of the Visit Orlando team recently volunteered at United Against Poverty’s Orlando campus. While helping clean and reorganize shelves in UAP’s Member Share Grocery Store, they saw firsthand how the organization works to preserve dignity for those it serves.

UAP offers a wide range of services, including crisis care, food assistance, job training and personal empowerment. Its Orlando center supports more than 8,400 households annually, providing a hand up to families earning at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The group also heard from Arianna Tipsword, UAP Orlando’s development coordinator, about the Success Training Employment Program, or STEP, which helps people build skills and find jobs. We’re proud to support organizations like UAP that make a meaningful impact in Central Florida.

In the News

WKMG: Orange County posts higher tourist tax collections in August

The Knot: Orlando Bachelorette Party Ideas, Itinerary & Planning Guide

Thrillist: Best Things to Do in Orlando, Florida for Families

Parents: My Family Survived 3 Theme Parks In 3 Days

Ladevi (Argentina): Visit Orlando strengthens its strategy with the Argentine trade at FIT 2025