This week, we celebrated National Travel & Tourism Week—the annual recognition of the industry’s critical role in powering economies, communities and connections—and the impact the travel industry makes on our community.
Nationwide, travel is a $2.6 trillion industry that supports nearly 15 million American jobs.
Here in Orange County, tourism generates $73.6 billion in economic impact and employs 43% of our workforce through both direct and indirect jobs.
To showcase how the tourism industry and Visit Orlando benefits Orlando’s economy, member companies and area residents, we implemented several activities and events throughout the week. They included:
L to R: Dawn Ofodile, VyStar Credit Union; Jamilah Felix, AdventHealth; Lynette Jackson, JPMorgan & Chase Co.; and Rodney Williams, CFO 2 Grow
Joint Chamber Breakfast: On Monday, May 20, I joined Visit Orlando Board Chair Terry Prather to deliver insights on the impact of travel on our community to nearly 80 attendees at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts. We shared Visit Orlando's role, how we can work together for continued success and showcased a new campaign focused on how Tourism Benefits You. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Central Florida’s diverse chambers.
Visit Orlando recognizes and thanks Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees at Orlando International Airport (MCO).
A Special Thanks to Central Florida’s Workforce: On Wednesday, May 22, we recognized and thanked frontline employees at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as well as the Tourist Oriented Policing Squad first responders of sectors five and six. We appreciate everything they do to help welcome our visitors and keep us safe!
City officials, business leaders, industry professionals and community members attend Visit Orlando's annual Travel & Tourism event at the Orange County Convention Center.
Visit Orlando’s Signature Luncheon: On Thursday, May 23, we hosted our annual Travel & Tourism Event at the Orange County Convention Center with an official proclamation from Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. We celebrated the 40-year anniversary of Visit Orlando membership, recognizing 25 members who have been with us since day one. We recognized Orlando’s Michelin restaurants and chefs who were included in the 2024 MICHELIN Guide, and Phil Rosenthal, creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond" and host of the Netflix hit show, "Somebody Feed Phil," shared more about filming his show here, noting that “Orlando is one of the best food scene cities in America.”
We also shared an update on visitation numbers for 2023. Every year on January 1, the number of visitors starts at zero. We have a lot to be proud of with our destination's performance—welcoming more than 74 million visitors in 2023. This number maintains our top position as the number one most visited destination in the U.S. I’m especially proud of the work we have done on the recovery of international visitation. International visitation grew by 25%, with more than 6 million international visitors to Orlando.
Team Appreciation: Everything Visit Orlando does wouldn’t be possible without our fantastic team members. To recognize their role in driving tourism to our community, marketing and selling our destination and supporting our members, we held a Visit Orlando staff appreciation event today. Visit Orlando’s team members are our most important asset—critical to advancing the Orlando brand and driving our industry forward.
Visit Orlando Contract Approved
After several months of discussions, presentations and negotiations, Tuesday morning marked a welcome resolution on Visit Orlando’s funding and contract with Orange County. Through collaborative efforts with the Orange County Government team, we successfully reached an agreement that aligns with the objectives outlined by the Board of County Commissioners. The Board of County Commissioners voted to approve the negotiated amendment. With this amendment in place, we look forward to a renewed focus on Visit Orlando's core mission: To inspire, promote and grow global travel to Orlando for economic and community benefit. We are grateful for Orange County Government, Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and the Orange County Board of County Commissioners.
Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending May 18, 2024, was 64.2%, down -5.2% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $186.36, down -3.6%. Room night demand trailed prior year by -4.5%. We’ve been anticipating that the week after NPE: The Plastics Show convention would be light for the destination due to the show’s lengthy move out process before another event can move into the Orange County Convention Center.
In terms of seasonality, May is also typically one of the slower months in the year for tourism in Orlando with spring break over and summer vacations not yet underway. Currently, May’s month-to-date hotel performance is outperforming last year despite the slowdown this past week. Looking ahead, the Memorial Day weekend period (Friday to Monday) is currently pacing 3% ahead of last year for hotel bookings, which coincides with AAA’s statement that this will be one of the busiest Memorial Day weekends for road trips in recent memory. According to AAA, Orlando is the top domestic destination for Memorial Day travel.
Around the Destination
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Visit Orlando partnered with the Washington Post to showcase Orlando’s rich Asian American and Pacific Islander neighborhoods and multicultural dining and celebrate the city’s cultural heritage. An interactive article on Washington Post's tappable storyboard follows influencer Jasmine Kim (@jasmnekim) and her family as they explore Lake Eola, Mills 50 and Winter Park, highlighting Orlando’s family-friendly neighborhoods and vibrant murals. The campaign will run through August 31, with an estimated 11.3 million impressions. Check out the final storyboard here.
Last Call for Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining: Today is the final day to submit restaurant applications for Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining. Each fall, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining invites residents and travelers to experience Orlando’s dining scene with three-course, prix-fixe dinners at several of our destination’s best restaurants. The two-tiered program includes a charitable component where $1 from every $40 meal and $2 from every $60 meal supports one or more local nonprofits. If you’re interested in attracting new patrons to your restaurant and helping support local nonprofits, please sign up and consider sharing this information with your network, along with any restaurants that would benefit from Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining.
Visit Orlando Engaged!
L to R: Ray Eddy, Ph.D., UCF College of Business; Valeriya Shapoval, University of Central Florida – Rosen College of Hospitality Management; Visit Orlando’s Kristin Westover; and Dean Treuren, Orange County Convention Center.
From Rockets to Rollercoasters: Last week, the UCF College of Business hosted its 2024 Real Estate Conference, "From Rockets to Rollercoasters," on May 16. Visit Orlando’s Director of Community Relations & External Affairs Kristin Westover participated in a panel alongside Dean Treuren (Orange County Convention Center) and Valeriya Shapoval (University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management). Moderated by Ray Eddy, PhD, from UCF’s College of Business, the group shared the importance of tourism in Orlando and how collaboration is vital to continued economic success. The conference is the preeminent meeting of commercial real estate owners, practitioners and key decision makers in Central Florida.
Visit Orlando’s Rasheedi Williams connects with clients at MPI WEC.
Visit Orlando Attends MPI WEC: Visit Orlando’s Business Development Account Manager Rasheedi Williams highlighted Orlando’s meetings and events sector at Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) World Education Congress (WEC) held in Louisville, KY. The annual event provides education and facilitates business connections for meetings and event professionals, planners and suppliers worldwide. Visit Orlando’s presence at MPI WEC is key to securing appointments with buyers, building relationships with clients and staying educated on the latest trends in the travel and tourism industry.
Visit Orlando’s public relations team hosts media at Evermore Orlando Resort.
“Girlfriends Getaway” Press Trip: The publicity team hosted a group press trip, May 14-18, for top-tier media in the UK and Canada to promote traveling to Orlando without kids. The “girlfriends getaway” itinerary highlighted the new Evermore Orlando Resort, Conrad Orlando, Universal Orlando, Winter Park, Michelin dining, an Orlando Ballet performance at The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and shopping at the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets. Participating outlets included a mix of luxury outlets, national newspapers and women’s magazines, including The Toronto Sun, View the Vibe, The Notable Life, Metro UK, Your Media and Irish Sunday Times, for a combined reach of 3.5 million.
