Those of us in tourism are no strangers to the positive impact of meetings and conventions on our destination. After the past year of turmoil and uncertainty, however, it’s more important than ever to not only recognize — but actually celebrate — just how much this segment of our industry supports our community. 

That’s why I’m excited about Visit Orlando's involvement in Global Meetings Industry Day Thursday, April 8, in conjunction with the US Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business coalition. 

In addition to promoting Orlando’s reputation as the No. 1 Destination for Healthy Meetings, we’ll demonstrate our appreciation by having our members turn their external lights blue, the official color of Global Meetings Industry Day, on April 8. This will be an especially powerful visual at the Orange County Convention Center, the Wheel at Icon Park and hotels along I-Drive.  

We’re also working on a video featuring our members and what they love about Orlando meetings — look for that soon — and we ask that you join us in sharing how you #LoveOrlandoMeetings on social media as we spend the day thanking M&C businesses. 

407 Day Returns

Visit Orlando and Orange County are teaming up once again to promote #407Day, a social campaign we launched last year with a nod to the calendar date (4/07) and the county’s longtime area code to show appreciation for our local restaurants. To support the program, we encourage you to dine in or order takeout from your favorite local restaurant on April 7 and share your experiences, photos or recommendations on social media using #407Day. We look forward to you joining us and encouraging your employees, friends and neighbors to come together as we all sit down at a virtual dinner table across the community Wednesday. 

State of Recovery: Last Chance to Register for April 6 Webinar

There are now only three days left to register for our virtual State of Recovery event April 6. This informative, one-hour session starts at 3 p.m. and will cover a lot of ground, including my vision and priorities, the state of travel and how you can partner with us on the road to recovery.  

It will also feature discussions about key tourism indicators and the outlook for summer, how Visit Orlando showcases member companies by working with media and social influencers, what the future holds for meetings and conventions, and how our marketing efforts are keeping Orlando top of mind for leisure and business travel. Click the link above to learn more and reserve your spot, and please feel free to submit questions in advance.  

What’s New in Orlando 

Last Friday, our marketing team launched a new campaign promoting the many new reasons to visit Orlando in 2021, from new theme park additions, attractions and restaurants, to resorts, shopping services and more. The campaign is built around a new video, above, and a blog post.  

We anticipate this post to reach thousands of potential travelers, as the Visit Orlando blog recently marked a 16.8% year-over-year increase in organic Google pageviews, the first such increase since February 2020! Pageviews from organic Google searches are one of the best indicators of consumer interest in website content, offering further proof that Orlando is poised for a busy summer season.  

Hotel Metrics

Metro Orlando's occupancy rate for the week ending March 27 was 61.8%, down slightly from 66% the previous week. However, Orlando’s was the highest year-over-year increase for occupancy of any of the top 25 markets in the nation with +347.5%. 

Average daily rate rose $5.48 to $108.39. 

ACROSS THE INDUSTRY

Eighth largest hotel company to open new Orlando office

Walt Disney World sold out for Easter weekend and beyond   

Business looking up for battered hotel industry 

‘Recovery underway': Tourism seeing rebound in Central Florida 

Business travel sees signs of life 

6 ways Florida meeting planners modified in-person programs during the pandemic 

 

In your service,

Casandra Matej

Casandra Matej | President & CEO
Visit Orlando