Visit Orlando's Daina Astwood-George, Robyn Hunt & Heide Colon
Lynn Hobeck with Visit Sarasota
The elegant Windsor Arms
World's cutest USB key?
Oh, the cruelty of it all! To lure a group of sun-starved Torontonians into a hotel, them tempt them with tales of beaches, sunshine and palm trees. (You know it’s been a long winter when we swoon at mentions of 75â°F.) Forget the diving dollar! We’re heading to Florida!
Which will be good news to the ears of the team of Floridian promoters who recently hosted us at the swanky Windsor Arms Hotel just steps away from Toronto’s Mink Mile (where retailers such as Cartier & Tiffany hang out). And clearly those present weren’t the only ones who felt a little Florida would go over quite nicely.
According to Tracy Vaughan, the Director of International Sales & Marketing for Visit Florida, there were a whopping 3.7 million Canadian visits to the Sunshine State last year, up an impressive 4.1%.
What’s happening in Fla.? Lots, according to the 14 partners present. Sarasota, already known as Florida’s classy and cultural destination, will be hosting the annual Ringling International Arts Festival October 15th thru 18th this fall, featuring, according to Sarasota-booster charming Lynn Hobeck, “unconventional” dance, theatre, music, visual arts, lectures and more.
There’s lots new in the Kissimmee area, with Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opening this spring. Universal Orlando continues to leverage the Harry Potter theme, with ‘London’ and Dragon Alley adding to the lineup as well as transfers between Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Island of Adventure on board the Hogwarts Express. And Duplo Valley at Legoland is slated to open this spring - sure to be a hit with the pre-kindergarten set.
Seaworld will be celebrating its 50th birthday – stretching out the festivities over 18 months – with lots of “spontaneous” activities sure to charm visitors. These include Bubble Blowouts, sea-inspired dance performances and encounters with animal ambassadors including those adorable penguins.
As one of the partners put it, “Whatever your style is, we have it.” And those visitor numbers bear witness to that!
