WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (February 8, 2019) – Beginning February 11, Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB) – the official tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County – will kick off Leisure Sales and Marketing representation in five new key markets: Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Germany and Mexico. The newly-appointed agencies join DTPB's existing International agencies: Hills Balfour in the United Kingdom and AviaReps in Brazil. The organization tasked with promoting Palm Beach County (“The Palm Beaches”) to outside domestic and international visitors is geared to begin expanded efforts in the aforementioned markets, after selecting the following agencies of record to work as an extension of the DTPB team: 

• Argentina: InterAmerican Network
• Canada: VoX International
• Colombia: AviaReps – Colombia office
• Germany: Lieb Management
• Mexico: AviaReps – Mexico office

President and CEO of Discover The Palm Beaches Jorge Pesquera echoed this excitement: “This significant expansion will not only help us extend our brand presence as The Best Way to Experience Florida, but also highlight our commitment to visitation growth from these important markets. Our leisure sales and marketing team's energized approach will demonstrate the importance of cultivating new and emerging markets to balance potential softening in other markets. We hope the entire tourism community will rally behind this major initiative aimed at growing our tourism economy.”

Discover The Palm Beaches believes the expansion will bring much-needed awareness and attention to in-market travel agents, tour operators, and receptive operators interested in the Florida market, through leisure sales and marketing initiatives. With this expanded presence, international agency representatives will disseminate relevant trends, as well as execute orientations, sales calls, presentations, trainings, destination reviews, and other related projects – thereby increasing DTPB's effectiveness in addressing client needs and providing exceptional service. The engagement of these new representation firms will also result in a year-round presence in the selected markets, as opposed to occasional trade events and sales visits.  

Efforts will focus on education and training for agents and operators. They will also serve to influence product placements with travel trade in each firm's respective markets. Senior Vice President of Marketing, Leisure Sales & Community Engagement Rich Basen at DTPB emphasized this sentiment: “The expanded team will work to complement existing efforts to educate and entice key travel trade players in selling destination resorts, attractions and activities to interested travelers who may not yet be familiar with the world-class tourism offerings of The Palm Beaches. Though our existing agencies have made great strides in sharing our messaging in the U.K. and Brazil, the newly-added agencies will no doubt enhance our market presence on a wider global scale.”  

According to VISIT FLORIDA's 2018-2019 Marketing & Sales Plan, international visitation accounted for 12.2 percent of total visitation to the Sunshine State in 2017. The breakdown for DTPB's international markets in which the organization has representation is listed below. These figures are based on end of year 2017 figures collected by DTPB's Business Intelligence Department through Visa Vue:

• Canada: 321,270 visitors (2% increase from YOY)
• Argentina: 36,620 visitors (8% increase YOY)
• UK: 35,950 visitors (7% decrease YOY)
• Brazil: 28,100 visitors (2% increase YOY)
• Colombia: 20,990 visitors (6% increase YOY)
• Germany: 20,660 visitors (1% decrease YOY)
• Mexico: 9,760 (1% decrease YOY)

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About Discover The Palm Beaches
Discover The Palm Beaches, formerly the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is the official 501(c)(6) not-for-profit tourism marketing corporation that promotes the collection of 39 cities and towns commonly referred to as “The Palm Beaches,” which spans more than 2,300 square miles and 47 miles of pristine, golden beaches from Boca Raton to Jupiter and Tequesta. Tourism is among Palm Beach County's major industries, generating $4.7 billion in direct visitor spending and supporting 70,000 jobs with an economic impact of about $7 billion. Once recognized as a tropical escape for elite travelers in the late 1800s, America's First Resort Destination® is making its resurgence as The Best Way To Experience Florida®, welcoming a record-breaking 7.89 million people in 2017. The Palm Beaches are home to nearly 17,000 hotel rooms, ranging from historic resorts to boutique inns. The destination features more than 100 family-friendly attractions, world-class luxury and antique shopping experiences, 125 miles of peaceful waterways for on- or in-the-water activities, 160 artificial reefs that line the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf Stream current, 160 golf courses, award-winning restaurants and a thriving entertainment scene boasting more than 200 art and culture organizations.

Situated along I-95, The Palm Beaches are also home to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), with more than 200 daily direct flights to 27 domestic and international destinations in the United States and Canada. The Palm Beaches are also conveniently located next to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Miami International airports, each one only an hour away. In addition, with the new Brightline train, transportation into The Palm Beaches from Fort Lauderdale and Miami is even faster and more convenient – with an additional connection to Orlando coming soon.

For more information about The Palm Beaches, visit www.ThePalmBeaches.com and connect on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PalmBeachesFL, YouTube at Discover The Palm Beaches and the hashtag #ThePalmBeaches. Tune-in to The Palm Beaches TV for 24/7 streaming content of the destination's hotels, attractions, restaurants and experiences. 

Media Contacts:

Ashley Svarney
Senior Director, Public Relations & Social Media
Discover The Palm Beaches

asvarney@thepalmbeaches.com
Office: +1 561-233-3030; Cell: +1 954-592-6683

Veronica Arrieta
Manager, International Public Relations
Discover The Palm Beaches

varrieta@ThePalmBeaches.com
Office: +1 561-233-3002