TALLAHASSEE — Go to Florida workers members have put collectively a tourism-marketing plan meant to counter elevated competitors from different states.
With pandemic restrictions now lifted nationally and eased internationally, and tourism {dollars} up in Florida’s proposed funds for the 2023-2024 fiscal yr, the state tourism company’s Advertising and marketing Council rolled out plans that, partly, would transfer up the beginning of winter and “households” promoting campaigns by a few months.
“We now have moved these as much as launch in October and March respectively, which we really feel will place us to enter the journey dialogue earlier within the resolution course of and maximize our traveler visitation,” Brett Laiken, Go to Florida’s vice chairman of promoting, mentioned Tuesday throughout a convention name.
The advertising efforts will proceed to focus on seashores and theme parks, but in addition regional and out of doors actions.
Laiken mentioned the company targeted on Florida’s pandemic restoration final yr, and “this yr we actually need to rejoice the file numbers within the face of accelerating competitors.”
The proposed state funds for the 2023-2024 fiscal yr, which can begin July 1, contains $80 million for Go to Florida, a $30 million enhance from the present fiscal yr. Gov. Ron DeSantis nonetheless must log out on the funds.
Tourism officers didn’t point out current journey advisories that advocacy teams have issued for Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ folks as a protest towards insurance policies backed by DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The assembly additionally didn’t embrace dialogue of DeSantis’ conflict with The Walt Disney Co. over 2022 laws that restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender id in faculties.
Florida drew an estimated 137.6 million guests in 2022, a 12.9% enhance from 2021 and 5% greater than in 2019, the final full yr of journey earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.
Go to Orlando estimated that Central Florida drew 74 million guests final yr, most from different elements of Florida.
Most guests proceed to return from different states, with abroad journey to Florida final yr 28% under the 2019 complete.
The upper Florida tourism estimates come as Go to California additionally touts spending by vacationers, which is predicted to hit $154.4 billion this calendar yr. The California tourism company has obtained $95 million for advertising from lawmakers.
In accordance with the U.S. Journey Affiliation, journey spending in 2022 hit $122.9 billion in Florida, 9% increased than in 2019.
New York hit $100 billion in journey spending final yr, 12% increased than in 2019. New York Metropolis alone had 54 million guests in 2022, under its 66.6 million guests in 2019. New York Metropolis Tourism + Conventions, town’s tourism company, anticipates reaching 63.3 million vacationers this yr.
Florida’s total advertising plan will stay closely targeted on U.S. vacationers, who’ve bolstered the state’s tourism numbers since companies began to reopen in 2020 after a pandemic shutdown. Laiken mentioned the plan will likely be extra regionally targeted than a “one-size-fits-all method.”
“Our storytelling will develop consciousness of trip potentialities in Florida,” Laiken mentioned. “We are going to reinforce the seashores and theme parks, whereas encouraging vacationers to expertise the limitless adventures that await and permit them to see new Florida with every return go to, together with adventures reminiscent of mountaineering, biking and kayaking. And moreover, we are going to proceed to acknowledge Florida as a high origin market and foster larger in-state journey.”
Laiken mentioned a “important” quantity of Florida’s tourism-marketing {dollars} will likely be directed towards attracting worldwide vacationers, who prior to now on common stayed for longer durations and spent more cash. However Laiken mentioned no laborious funds figures have been “put down” for worldwide advertising.
