This Pride Month, which officially kicked off on June 1, Visit Orlando is proudly representing our destination and Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community at World Pride in Washington, D.C.

World Pride is a major international event that brings together LGBTQ+ communities and allies to celebrate progress, promote inclusion and share ideas. For Visit Orlando, the event offers a platform to promote Orlando as a welcoming and inclusive destination and drive visitation to our region.

From May 19 to June 8, we're running large outdoor displays at Nationals Park baseball stadium—the location of the World Pride Opening Ceremonies. The creative is aligned with our region's brand, Unbelievably Real, and features messages such as “In Orlando, every family belongs” and “Orlando welcomes all, always.”

Since the first Gay Days in 1991, Orlando has grown to become one of the nation’s top LGBTQ+ travel destinations. Visit Orlando continues to participate in events like World Pride, among many others, to highlight the LGBTQ+ community’s impact in our city.

Visit Orlando's marketing campaign efforts during Pride Month are part of a broader, year-round multicultural campaign, “Orlando For All,” where we develop and implement several unique initiatives to reach African American, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Hispanic and Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. The ongoing campaign’s goal is to inspire future travel to Orlando and support our local community. Highlights from this year include:

• Collaborating with national media companies, including Buzzfeed, Equal Pride, iHeartMedia, NGL mitu, Passport Magazine, TripAdvisor, Univision and the Washington Post on several projects with Orlando features and content specific to those audiences. 
• Developing dedicated landing pages on VisitOrlando.com to invite residents and visitors to engage with the heritage that shapes our destination’s identity. Explore the travel guides: African American, Asian American & Pacific Islander, Hispanic & Latino. 
• Participating in Orlando's Come Out with Pride this October with a float in the parade and a booth at the festival. 
• Promoting culture-specific celebrations, including Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Black History Month, Black Music Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Juneteenth and other important occasions. These celebrations highlight the rich histories and cultures that contribute to our destination's cultural landscape. 
• Publishing several blog posts showcasing each culture’s history, events, stories, restaurants and more. View the latest blog post featuring Pride Month: Keep Dancing: Pride Month & Pulse Remembrance Events.

Our Pride Month activities are a key part of Visit Orlando's dedication to spotlighting our destination’s rich history and culture. By implementing year-round multicultural initiatives, Visit Orlando continues to drive our vision forward to be the most visited, welcoming and inclusive destination in the world.

Data & Trends

Weekly Hotel Metrics

Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending May 31, 2025, was 63.8%, up 3.7% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $178.34, up 3% from last year. Room night demand surpassed the prior year by 5.8%. 

Around the Destination

Deadline Today: Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining 2025 Restaurant Applications

Today is the final day for restaurants to apply for the 20th year of Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health. Through Visit Orlando, $1 from every $40 meal and $2 from every $60 meal served during Magical Dining benefit one or more local nonprofits that support people in need. Thank you for helping make Orlando a top dining destination and a community that gives back.

Mayor Demings Delivers State of the County Address

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings delivered his annual State of the County address today at the Linda Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center. The State of the County is an annual address delivered by Mayor Demings to the Board of County Commissioners and the public, outlining the county’s fiscal and operational health.

In addition to Orange County Government’s accomplishments over the past year and opportunities ahead, Mayor Demings shared the incredible achievement of our tourism industry with 75.3 million visitors that drive nearly $93 billion in economic impact for our region. He spoke about his excitement for the continued investment our industry is making in our local economy and highlighted small businesses that play an important role. He also noted that Brightline’s ridership has helped get over 1 million cars off the road. To watch the State of County address recap, click here.

Pulse Remembrance Ceremony Set for June 12

Following the Pulse tragedy in 2016, our community came together to show the world that we were Orlando United. Nine years later, our community remains steadfast in its dedication to honoring and remembering the 49 individuals who were taken, their families, those who survived and all who were directly impacted by the Pulse tragedy.

On June 12, the Pulse Remembrance Ceremony will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Orlando, 142 East Jackson Street, to honor and remember the 49 individuals taken and continue to support their families, the survivors and all those directly impacted. The community is invited to attend the ceremony, which will include reading the names of the 49 angels, the tolling of 49 bells, remarks from family members and survivors, and musical and cultural performances. For more information, visit pulseorlando.org. 

A New Look for the Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic announced a new chapter this week with the debut of their updated logo and three redesigned uniforms during a public celebration at the Kia Center. The refreshed look brings back the team’s signature star symbol, familiar to longtime fans, now featured in the lettering and along a reimagined star trail. The new uniforms—Association (white), Icon (blue) and Statement (black)—incorporate bold pinstripes and historic wordmarks, offering a modern take on the Magic’s iconic style. Residents and travelers had the opportunity to see the gear up close at a special event held at the Kia Center on Tuesday, June 3. Congratulations to the entire team on this fresh new look!

West Orange Trail Bridge Re-opening

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and District 2 Commissioner Christine Moore hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, May 31, to celebrate the grand re-opening of the West Orange Trail Bridge in Apopka. The bridge, part of the 30-year-old West Orange Trail, has been a familiar crossing point for nearly two decades. The event included a community fun run, walk and bike ride led by the Apopka Run Club, as well as outdoor fitness activities, local student artwork, and light refreshments. It’s a great reminder of how our trails continue to bring residents and visitors together while promoting outdoor fun and a healthy lifestyle. Watch the ceremony here. 

Enhanced Passenger Processing

Last week, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and iProov, hosted a stakeholder briefing to showcase the Enhanced Passenger Processing system at Orlando International Airport. This biometric technology is currently being piloted in Terminal B. We had the opportunity to see the system in action and learned how it improves the passenger experience while supporting secure and efficient airport operations. This marks an important step as Orlando prepares to welcome visitors from around the world for major international sporting events and expanded international airline service.

Visit Orlando Engaged!

Perspectives in Leadership

Earlier today, I had the honor of moderating a “Perspectives in Leadership” panel at the Women’s Public Leadership Network Summit, held June 5–7 in Orlando. Joined by two incredible leaders—Maribeth Bisienere of Walt Disney World and Vickie Jaramillo of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority—we had a candid conversation about the experiences, skills and support systems that shape strong leadership. We touched on everything from resilience and mentorship to the importance of women lifting each other up. I left inspired by the insight shared and the energy in the room. Thank you, WPLN, for creating space for these powerful conversations.

Visit Orlando’s Global Marketing & Communications Committee Meetings

This week, Visit Orlando’s Global Marketing and Global Communications Committees held the second of four quarterly meetings this year. The Global Marketing Committee serves as a strategic partner to Visit Orlando, helping guide programs across marketing, brand integration, social media, content, communications and digital marketing to support the organization’s goals. The Global Communications Committee includes members from across the destination who specialize in communications and public relations. Both committees reviewed and offered insights on Visit Orlando’s H2 (July–December 2025) marketing strategies and provided feedback on direction for 2026.

Downtown Orlando Partnership Hosts Food and Networking Event

The Downtown Orlando Partnership hosted Chow on Church on Tuesday, June 3, at Inter&Co Stadium. Organized by the City of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board, the event featured food tastings from local downtown businesses and provided valuable networking opportunities for the business community. Attendees also had a chance to connect with Orlando Pride players Ally Lemos and Brianna Martinez, who engaged fans, signed autographs and helped celebrate the city's vibrant sports and tourism scene. Giovana Kaiser, sales manager at Visit Orlando, attended on behalf of the organization, representing tourism’s role in supporting downtown events and community engagement.

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