VISIT FLORIDA is helping delegates at International Pow Wow easily find their way around the marketplace floor. The Sunshine State’s marketing arm is sponsoring nine, 10-foot-tall Wayfinder Kiosks that will be strategically located around the show. Delegates can enter the name or booth number they are seeking, and a line on the 42-inch screen will show the way.

“Pow Wow is offering these for the first time, and we are delighted to be the sponsor,” said Eileen Forrow, vice president - sales and marketing for VISIT FLORIDA. “This is for the convenience of buyers so they can find their way quickly to the next appointment. Delegates can also print out the directions.”

NEW FREE SERVICE

“We will also have a 30-second video on the Wayfinders highlighting a new service available to buyers,” Forrow said. VISIT FLORIDA now offers free travel video and travel stories created by top Florida journalists, in English and in Spanish.

“This content is quirky, off the beaten path, fun information. It’s all free for operators to use on their own websites as long as they give credit to the source,” Forrow said.

PARTNERING WITH BRAND USA

VISIT FLORIDA has just announced its new partnership with Brand USA, committing a base of $1 million plus significant in-kind investments, to encourage travelers from around the world to visit the United States. VISIT FLORIDA joins Marriott International, the Walt Disney Company and Best Western International as Brand USA’s founding travel partners.

BANNER YEAR

In 2011, Florida had a banner year for international visitors.

“We had a 3% increase in domestic visitors, 5.7% in Canadian visitors, and a huge 16.1% increase in overseas visitors. Canada is still our number one international market, and this year Brazil has passed the United Kingdom, taking second place.”

And in terms of absolute numbers, 2011 was a record year for visitors overall with an estimated 85.9 million. “It’s a sign,” said Forrow, “that the economy is improving and there is pent-up demand. Also, the dollar is not exactly strong in some of these markets, which helps us.”

“International visitors are moving beyond the traditional destinations,” Forrow continued. “Florida’s repeat business is significant. There is always something new being developed, like major additions to theme parks and new hotel inventory.”

MORE AIRLIFT

The state is also encouraging more international airlift, Forrow said. In the last year, VISIT FLORIDA initiated a matching marketing grant dedicated to new scheduled international flights and has two new services in the pipeline – one from Europe and one from Latin America.

“The diversity of our state is among our strongest selling points,” said Forrow. “We’re blessed with major tourism draws – the beaches and the large attractions, of course, but also lesser known attractions. In fact, we are bringing in bloggers and tour operator fams from Europe to introduce them to the north and northwest parts of the state, which have not been on the traditional itinerary for those visitors.”

For more information:
Monday, 4/23, visit Laura Cassels in the Media Marketplace, table 15, or contact her at 1 (850) 570-3143 or lcassels@VISITFLORIDA.org.
After Monday, contact Kathy Torian at 1 (850) 205-3865 or ktorian@VISITFLORIDA.org, during business hours EDT.

As the state's No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming 82.3 million visitors in 2010 that spent more than $62.7 billion, generating 22 percent of the state's sales tax revenue and employing nearly 1 million Floridians. For every $1 spent on tourism marketing, VISIT FLORIDA - the state's official tourism marketing corporation - generates more than $177 in tourism spending and $11 in new sales tax collections, paid by visitors, not residents. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves nearly 10,500 tourism industry businesses, including 2,800 invested Partners, 7,700 web affiliates and major strategic alliance partnerships with Disney Destinations, Dollar Rent A Car, The Hertz Corporation, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Universal Orlando. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, please go to www.VISITFLORIDA.com or follow our corporate blog at www.SunshineMatters.org.