Orlando Named One of Forbes' Best Places to Visit in 2020
You might have seen where Orlando made Forbes’ list of best places to visit in 2020, with the article highlighting our theme parks, hotels, restaurants and neighborhoods. It’s worth noting that our publicity team worked closely with the main author and Orlando-section contributor to share the story of our destination. What’s more, over the past year, this relationship has produced similar coverage in MSN and PopSugar, along with stories in other national and regional news outlets. Expect how we leverage these efforts to continue in a big way as we enter the new year.
November's TDT Collections Set a Record
Collections of Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax were 8.7% higher in November than the same time last year, making it the best November on record. Year to date, revenue generated from this 6% tax on overnight stays is also on pace to set a record for the ninth straight year. These positive results are a testament to our industry’s collective efforts to contribute to our community’s economy.
Visit Orlando Magical Dining: Making a Difference in Our Schools
Thanks to funds from Visit Orlando Magical Dining — where $1 from each meal is donated to charity — Audubon Park School recently opened a Best Buddies chapter, creating opportunities for inclusion and one-to-one friendships for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Last year, Union Park and Meadow Woods middle schools also created Best Buddies chapters with proceeds from our 2018 Magical Dining event.
Kicking Off Our Strongest-Ever Campaign in the UK and Ireland
We’ve kicked off the year by launching our strongest-ever winter campaign in the United Kingdom and Ireland, encouraging families to book their 2020 holiday. Running through Jan. 31, the campaign is expected to generate more than 330 million impressions and will help boost visitation from our top overseas market.
RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
» JOBS: Employment in Orlando’s leisure and hospitality industry rose 3.8% in November, a gain of 10,300 jobs compared to November of last year. The growth in this sector outpaced overall employment growth (2.8%) and accounted for 28% of total job growth.
» CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index was 126.5 in December, virtually unchanged from a year ago and down slightly from 126.8 in November. Last month’s modest decline was due to less optimism among consumers regarding the short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions.
THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG
REAL ID will have a real impact on domestic travel starting Oct. 1, 2020, but Visit Orlando is already helping visitors get prepared.
