Orlando – Growing visitation with the travel trade

Gary Sain, President of the Orlando Tourism Bureau, examines why he feels that travel agents should be selling Orlando to UK and Ireland holidaymakers and how the variety of the destination is sometimes an underused selling point.

I have now been working at the Orlando Tourism Bureau for 16 months and I can honestly say that I have been blown away by the passion that travel professionals in the UK and Ireland have for the destination.

The lasting memories offered by a trip to Orlando vary from person to person. No two people experience the destination in the same way, which in its own right makes it such a special place to visit. However, the single greatest thing that I believe people take from visiting our magical city is in sharing these experiences with those that mean the most and building memories together that last a lifetime. It is for this reason, among many others, that people keep coming back.

While it is hard to give an exact figure on visitation for the year 2008 so far, we expect this year the number of visitors to Orlando from the UK and Ireland to grow around 4%. To achieve this figure, the Orlando Tourism Bureau depends on the knowledge and enthusiasm shared by the travel professionals across the UK and Ireland, who continue to do such a great job in sending approximately one million visitors to the destination every year.

Should we see this many visitors, it is further evidence that those looking to plan the ultimate holiday continue to view Orlando as the number one destination of choice.

There are some fantastic new attractions opening this year. Orlando’s newest waterpark, SeaWorld Aquatica, has just opened and generated a huge buzz from UK visitors. The Simpson’s ride at Universal Studios and Toy Story Mania at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Hollywood Studios are just two further reasons to visit Orlando this year, whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned Orlando veteran.

While nearly 90% of UK and Irish visitors have come to experience our world class theme parks and around 50% of visiting groups are families, we should not forget that it has fast become a shopper’s paradise. It’s also be used as a great destination for honeymooners, couples, and groups of girls looking for a long weekend away.

At the Bureau, we feel we have a duty to ensure that this sort of variety of the destination is well-represented, as to we be an injustice to our visitors if they did not have the opportunity to experience everything else there is to see and do during their stay.

Orlando continues to offer a fantastic, value for money experience and some may argue that there’s never been a better time to visit. With nearly two dollars to every pound, it’s fair to say that for visitors from the UK and Ireland are able to take advantage of some great deals. The strong euro also means that those planning a holiday from the UK are looking away from Europe and to the States for their holidays, with few destinations offering the rounded experience that Orlando does.

Shopping trips are a big draw and international shoppers are increasingly discovering the affordability of coming to Orlando to shop and play. They enjoy purchasing everything from name brands to everyday products at very affordable prices. With more than 4.6 million square metres of retail space, including nine regional shopping malls, incredible outlet centres and unique boutiques, Orlando is satisfying all kinds of shopaholics.

While Orlando continues to cater for all shopping ‘tastes’, it now serves up over 5,300 restaurants and with choices from a casual fast food meal retailing at around £4 to a lavish four-course meal for around £25, there is a selection to suit even the tightest of purse strings. For travellers with kids, there are bargains galore. In fact many of Orlando’s family restaurants, kids eat free.

In terms of where visitors might choose to stay, we are seeing a growing trend in affordable self-catering holiday homes. There are more than 26,000 rentals available and a luxury 8-sleeper villa will cost as little as £40 per day, which works out at just £5 a person. However, if visitors prefer a serviced holiday there are over 450 hotels and 112,000 guest rooms from which to choose.

A great hotel room isn’t the only way to rejuvenate body and soul — Orlando is fast becoming one of the world’s premier resort spa destinations. There are now 19 full-service, hotel or resort spas with an endless variety of pampering options. Orlando’s 176 attractive and challenging golf courses also allow its visitors to refresh themselves and its year-round playing climate place it at the top of the list for golfing destinations.

While I understand that this might be a lot to take in, we have taken measures to ensure that travel professionals have all this information at their finger tips. In fact, it is now one year since the Bureau launched its Orlando Holiday Specialist online training. This first year has seen over 1,700 agents sign up to the initiative and 41% complete the training, a figure which we are extremely proud of. Due to the success, together with our theme park partners, we were able to send out 84 agents on Orlando’s largest ever fam trip in December and planning for this year’s trip has already begun.

This year we have relaunched the OHS initiative and are now offering agents two cinema tickets for successfully completing the training, doubling last year’s incentive. A new interactive map has been introduced that offers travel professionals the opportunity to gain a firm understanding of the geography of Orlando and where many of its famous landmarks are located in relation to each other. It is an extremely useful addition to the programme that has enjoyed such a successful first year.

Alongside the online training programme, the Orlando Tourism Bureau continues to offer tour operators and travel agents across the UK and Ireland in-house training to keep them up-to-date with all the latest in Orlando. Those interested in having one of the Bureau’s representatives visit them should contact orlando.tourism@publicasity.co.uk.

At the moment, there are plenty of new reasons to be selling Orlando to your customers. While we would never be as short-sighted as to underestimate or ignore the competition, the sustained development and continued variety that Orlando offers means that I am confident that it will continue to be the UK and Ireland’s most popular holiday destination. Together, let us help you grow visitation to Orlando together.