Visit Orlando

Visit Orlando’s public relations team recently hosted Brazilian journalists to showcase Orlando’s fall events, dining, arts and outdoor activities. The group stayed at Caribe Royale Orlando and Evermore Orlando Resort and visited Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival, and SeaWorld’s Howl-o-Scream. They also watched an Orlando Pride game featuring Brazilian superstar Marta. The media represented major outlets, including Gazeta do Povo newspaper, Melhores Destinos, Viaje Mais magazine, 29 Horas magazine and Zero Horas, for a combined reach of over 50.7 million readers.

Visit Orlando proudly participated in the 20th year anniversary of Come Out With Pride on Oct. 19. This was the second year Visit Orlando partnered with iHeartMedia on a parade float. Nearly 50 Visit Orlando staff, partners and members joined the crew from XL 106.7’s Johnny’s House and iHeart Pride Radio as parade walkers wore “Where sunlight, fireworks and rainbows all shine” t-shirts. The event attracted more than 200,000 spectators and in addition to the float, Visit Orlando engaged with event participants at our booth with our games and prize giveaways from more than 25 Visit Orlando members. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3YinhAt

Big news for sports fans! Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium will host matches for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, marking the tournament's exciting U.S. debut. This will be the largest stand-alone global club football event ever held in the nation, featuring the top 32 clubs from around the world. Recently named the nation’s No. 1 city for hosting events by Sports Business Journal, Orlando is proving to be a premier destination for major competitions, especially soccer events. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3YyJM5u

Orlando was awarded “Accessible Destination of the Year” at the JRNY America Awards, held in London on Oct. 24. Travel magazine JRNY America’s inaugural awards were judged by an independent panel of leading travel journalists. This award reinforces our destination’s commitment to ensuring Orlando is a destination for all visitors. https://bit.ly/3Aez9LJ

Visit Orlando, along with our theme parks, hotels, and transportation partners, hosted the second annual Orlando Canadian Sunshine Tour in Ottawa (Oct. 9) and Montreal (Oct. 10). This event connected travel agents and industry stakeholders with updates on our iconic attractions and Michelin-starred dining. Highlights included an event with nearly 40 media professionals for the Travel Media Association of Canada’s monthly meet-up, where we shared the latest news from Orlando and showcased Orlando’s growing culinary and mixology scene, including a cocktail-making class led by Justin Levaughn, MICHELIN Guide Florida 2024 Exceptional Cocktails Award winner. Additionally, Visit Orlando’s travel industry sales team hosted a client dinner in Toronto.

Visit Orlando’s convention sales, communications, and marketing team, along with over 25 Visit Orlando members and destination partners, showcased Orlando as a premier business destination at IMEX America 2024—the largest U.S. trade show for the global meetings, events, and incentive travel industry. Over four days, the team conducted more than 950 appointments with meeting planners and hosted several events, including a networking breakfast that drew more than 350 attendees. We also facilitated media interviews with key trade publications, including BizBash, Smart Meetings, Meetings Today, and Prevue with our executive team, further highlighting our story in the meetings industry. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3BXUfi3

At Visit Orlando, press trips are a key element of our public relations strategy. By hosting journalists and influencers worldwide, we showcase our destination through authentic experiences. This year, we’ve welcomed 52 individual press trips and 10 group trips with media—from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia—resulting in 350+ stories, highlighting why Orlando is the perfect destination for travelers. Key examples include: • 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 & 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗲: Where-to-stay, where-to-eat and things-to-do options. https://lnkd.in/eypPD8he • 𝗠𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱: A “grown-up’s guide to Orlando,” encourages regional visitors to rediscover the city. https://lnkd.in/eEiPj7yW • 𝗗𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲: Orlando was called “the model of doing it right,” reinforcing our inclusive destination, following a global LGBTQ+ press trip. https://lnkd.in/eHY9YD9B • 𝗨𝗞-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽: Showcased the quirky side of Orlando, amassing 1.4 million views in 48 hours. https://lnkd.in/e3xQ8K_S Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eJCR4Nbq

In partnership with the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and Copa Airlines, Visit Orlando held events in three key Brazilian cities—São Paulo, Campinas, and Belo Horizonte—to promote our destination’s unique experiences beyond the theme parks. The team hosted agent training sessions in each city, featuring Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes as a special guest. Travel professionals were invited to bring their children, who had the opportunity to meet Marcos Pontes and enjoy a special screening of Wild Robot. To broaden access, the event was also live-streamed, allowing agents from other regions to participate. Overall, Visit Orlando engaged with over 570 travel agents and tour operators.

Congratulations to Visit Orlando’s President & CEO, Casandra Matej, for being recognized in Orlando Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful People of 2024! The list highlights local leaders who make Orlando 'The City Beautiful’ a great place to live, work, play, and visit. A round of applause also to Visit Orlando board members Karen Irwin (President & COO, Universal Orlando Resort), Kevin Thibault (CEO, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority) and Mark Tester (Executive Director, Orange County Convention Center), who were also named as Powerful People in the Tourism and Transportation category. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ejW5dbMC

Visit Orlando brought Orlando to the UK through the Orlando Uncovered Roadshow, sharing the latest updates and upcoming attractions with 300+ travel professionals. The event took place in Bristol, Birmingham and Leeds, with representatives from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The team even visited one of the UK’s largest ticket providers, Attraction World, to deliver product training to their staff. These roadshows help strengthen relationships with UK trade partners, ensuring they have the knowledge and tools to promote Orlando.