With the second half of the year underway, many in our industry are already sharpening their focus on the remainder of 2026 and beyond. We invite you to join us for Visit Orlando’s Industry Insights Forum on Aug. 5 at the Orange County Convention Center, where we’ll explore key economic outlooks, market intelligence and the trends shaping traveler behavior.

Through our General Session, interactive Learning Labs led by Visit Orlando subject matter experts and the new Executive Insights Lunch, the event delivers practical takeaways and strategic insight to support your planning and decision-making.

General Session

In “First Brood,” economist Dr. Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, examines the latest trends in employment, housing, commercial real estate, financial markets and economic output to better understand where the economy is headed in 2026 and beyond.

In “From KPIs to What Matters: Turning Orlando’s Travel Data into Meaningful Insight,” Maria Henson, Visit Orlando’s senior director of market research and insights, explores Orlando’s current visitor mix, destination performance and the forward indicators shaping demand—from air service and flight searches to lodging and international travel forecasts.

Interactive Learning Labs

Visit Orlando subject matter experts will share practical strategies in two learning lab groups covering emerging trends, industry best practices, Visit Orlando member benefits, technology, sales opportunities, marketing strategies, destination experience initiatives, artificial intelligence and tourism research.

With the purpose to help support your business goals, conversations will center on responding to planner inquiries and strengthening request for proposal (RFP) strategies, creating more effective and authentic social media content, understanding how AI is reshaping the traveler journey and what meeting planners are looking for today. Additional discussions will explore how destination stories take shape, how to apply audience insights to future planning and more.

Executive Insights Lunch

New this year, the Executive Insights Lunch takes a deeper look at Gen Alpha, the next generation of travelers shaping future demand. In “Gen Alpha: Preparing for the Next Generation of Visitors,” presented in partnership with Razorfish, a global marketing and customer experience agency, the session explores how this highly autonomous, digitally native generation is reshaping family decision-making, blending digital and in-person experiences and setting new expectations for brand engagement across industries, including travel.

During this session, you’ll gain insight into what makes Gen Alpha unique and how they engage with content, along with actionable strategies to help future-proof your offerings.

Donation Drive

Visit Orlando is partnering with the REED Charitable Foundation, the primary beneficiary of the 2025 Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health, to collect donations that will help build strong reading foundations for children in our community. The donation drive will kick off Aug. 5 at the industry insights event and continue throughout the year at Visit Orlando’s membership and signature events.

Suggested items include picture books for children ages 3 to 8, magnetic letters, alphabet puzzles and matching games, Play-Doh, dry erase markers, dice, craft pom-poms, handheld mirrors for speech sound practice, dry erase pocket sleeves, zipper pouches and resealable bags.

We encourage you to register and join us for Visit Orlando's Industry Insights Forum. Corporate tables are available for purchase.

Data & Trends

May 2026 Travel Insights & TDT Collections

Weekly Metrics

Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending July 4, 2026, was 71.5%, up 2% from the same week last year. Room night demand surpassed last year by 1%. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) for the week was $196.54 up 3.9% from last year.

For the Fourth of July holiday period, Orlando hotels performed slightly better than last year with demand up 1% and ADR up 4%.

Around the Destination

Heart of I-Drive: Tourism Industry Gives Back

Visit Orlando team members joined community leaders and business professionals at the I-Drive Chamber's "Heart of I-Drive" luncheon to celebrate the multitude of ways our tourism industry gives back to the local community, from volunteering and mentoring youth to financial and in-kind donations.

As part of the celebration, Westgate Foundation was honored with the 2026 Harris Rosen Philanthropic Award, given annually to a business that demonstrates exceptional philanthropic work, making our community and the world a better place. The award is passed each year from one community-minded organization to another, with Visit Orlando serving as the 2025 recipient.

Church Street Festival Street Project Underway

Orlando has broken ground on the Church Street Festival Street project, marking a key milestone in the Downtown Orlando (DTO) Action Plan, the city’s roadmap to make downtown more walkable and connected. The multiphase reconstruction will transform Church Street from Garland Avenue to Magnolia Avenue into a pedestrian-focused corridor designed to support year-round events, outdoor dining and local business activity.

The redesign prioritizes people and multimodal travel, reducing cut-through traffic while creating a flexible streetscape for daily use and community programming. The project aims to make downtown feel more connected and inviting for everyone who lives, works, visits or does business there.

Learn more

Visit Orlando Engaged!

Engaging U.K. Trade at VirginFest

Last month, Visit Orlando’s U.K. team participated in VirginFest 2026 at Whittlebury Park. VirginFest is a training event hosted by Virgin Atlantic Holidays, the U.K. and Ireland’s largest tour operator to Orlando, where Orlando remains its No. 1 most-sold destination. The event brought together 125 frontline U.K. sales agents and industry partners.

Across two days, our team delivered 25 small-group training sessions on the Orlando Travel Academy, equipping agents with updated destination knowledge and sales tools. Participation alongside partners including Universal Orlando Resort, Disney Destinations and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reinforced Orlando’s position as a top-selling destination. The event strengthened relationships with frontline advisors who directly influence booking decisions, supporting continued growth in this priority international market.

Building Connections at FICP Forum

Visit Orlando strengthened relationships with financial and insurance meeting planners during the Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals Education Forum, held June 24–26 in Québec City, Canada. Our team connected with approximately 50 planners through targeted engagement opportunities.

During the event, our team hosted a dinner alongside Disney Destinations and Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, creating an intimate setting to engage directly with planners. The forum provided a platform for meaningful conversations, new connections and a shared focus on delivering exceptional meeting experiences, supporting continued engagement with this high-value meetings segment.

Strengthening U.K. Media Relationships

Visit Orlando’s U.K. PR agency, FINN Partners, participated in the Visit USA Summer BBQ & Awards in London, supporting efforts to strengthen relationships between U.K. travel media and U.S. destinations. The event convened more than 65 journalists and content creators, including representatives from Wanderlust, The Independent and Travel Weekly, along with freelance contributors to The i Paper, JRNY Magazine and Lonely Planet.

Engagement with these outlets reinforced key media relationships, generated new story opportunities and extended momentum from recent pitching efforts in the market.

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