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2008 Industry Outlook
Tourism 2008
Global competition: Florida officials hope to gain an edge by focusing on niche markets.
 Above: Islamorada, Florida Keys European visitors are being bombarded with cheap getaways closer to home. — Gary Sain, president and CEO, Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau [Photo: Tony Arruza] |
Gone are the days when Florida was the obvious vacation spot for visitors looking for a sunny getaway. “Florida now competes against all the states and destinations within those states and Caribbean markets,” says Bud Nocera, president and CEO of Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency. In Canada, advertisements are flooding the market from Cuba, the Bahamas and Mexico, among others, says Prior Smith, host of Canada Calling, a daily radio program for Canadians visiting Florida.
In the international arena, Florida tourism is helped by the weak dollar, which is at multidecade lows against the Canadian dollar, euro and yen. But European visitors are bombarded with cheap getaways closer to home, including in Italy, Greece, Spain and even Dubai, which is spending $10 million in the United Kingdom alone to attract visitors, says Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’re competing with much more choice, easier choice,” he says.
Florida is fighting the competition by targeting niche markets. Orlando, for example, has hired consulting firms to help the area appeal to Hispanic and African-American visitors. “We recognize the importance of both segments. They are both growing,” says Sain.
Statewide, there’s a focus on promoting Florida’s small towns and downtowns to visitors looking for something beyond theme parks and beaches. Palatka, on the St. Johns River in northeast Florida, is one of many small towns working with both Visit Florida and the Florida Department of State to market its mural project, festivals, railroad museum and outdoor activities. “We consider ourselves the real Florida,” says Palatka Mayor Karl Flagg.
Another focus is the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender market. Stephen Murray-Smith, gay-market sales manager for the Florida Keys and Key West, began working with Visit Florida three years ago and helped set up a task force to develop a marketing plan. He says, “We wanted to go slowly and try to make the right moves.” Fort Lauderdale has established itself among the top gay travel destinations. And this year, Visit Florida launched a gay travel website, the first in the nation for a state tourism agency, and a postcard mailer to promote the site. The agency made an appearance at a major gay lifestyle expo in New York and participated in Gay Days in Orlando.
“The GLBT market is an important market to many Florida destinations,” says Nocera, adding, “It also is a market that is very lucrative.” Indeed, gay visitors traveling alone spend an average of $800 while the average for solo heterosexual visitors is $540, according to a December 2006 study by Witeck-Combs Communications in Washington, D.C. Gay visitors traveling with others spend an average of $3,070 compared to $2,870 for heterosexual groups.
