Tourism is helping fuel Orlando’s growing arts and culture scene and creating new opportunities for local creatives like former City of Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome.
For Welcome, the impact is measurable.
“Over the past few years, my business has nearly doubled in revenue, in part due to tourism,” he said.
A Literary Voice for Orlando
As poet laureate from 2021 to 2025, Welcome served as a literary ambassador for the city through his performances and work in the community.
His work has reached major stages and organizations across the destination, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, the Orlando Magic and the University of Central Florida.
Tourism and the meetings and conventions business have also played key roles in that growth. As a Visit Orlando member, Welcome has connected with new audiences and opportunities that continue to elevate his career as a poet and professional speaker. Those connections have led to major bookings, including an invitation to perform at the American Occupational Therapy Association conference, which drew more than 12,500 attendees.
Visit Orlando collaborated with him to write and perform our Orlando’s “Unbelievably Real” poem, giving Welcome a new way to tell our destination’s story through his art. The poem was later featured on major industry stages, including PCMA Convening Leaders in 2024, where Welcome performed it for 5,000 attendees, and U.S. Travel Association’s IPW this year, where he shared the poem with travel media and industry leaders. Those moments helped introduce his work to new audiences and reinforced how tourism can create meaningful opportunities for local creatives.
Beyond the stage, his impact extends into the community. Welcome worked with youth in the criminal justice system, helping them rehabilitate, by teaching them how to process emotions, tell their stories and express themselves through poetry and spoken word.
His journey and mission are captured in “Welcome,” a short documentary that showcases his work to empower others and strengthen Orlando’s literary arts community.
Rooted in Orlando’s Creative Community
For nearly two decades, Welcome has helped shape Orlando’s literary arts scene. In 2006, he founded Diverse Word, now the longest-running open mic in Central Florida, creating a platform for local voices.
As president and co-founder of the Literary Arts Council of Central Florida, he continues to create opportunities for poets and storytellers, curating performances at venues like the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
That work reflects the broader momentum of Orlando’s arts and culture scene, which continues to gain national attention.
This year, Orlando hosted the 34th annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam for the first time, bringing more than 200 poets from across the country to Central Florida. The four-day event highlighted Orlando’s continued rise as a destination for arts, culture and creative expression.
Building Toward a Creative Future
Looking ahead, Welcome remains focused on elevating Orlando’s identity as a creative hub.
“We want to position Orlando as the literary arts capital of the South,” he said.
He encourages writers, poets and storytellers to see Orlando as a place to grow their craft—supported by a strong creative community and tourism industry that helps bring new audiences to their work.
Tourism Benefits Us All
Shawn Welcome’s story shows how tourism supports local talent in meaningful ways— connecting artists with new audiences, platforms and opportunities.
When visitors explore our destination, they don’t just experience attractions—they engage with the people, creativity and culture that make Orlando unique.
“And that’s what makes Orlando Unbelievably Real,” said Welcome.
That’s the power of tourism.
And that’s how Tourism Benefits You.