Sunshine State’s smiling with latest choices

Florida by Alan Moore

Sunshine State’s smiling with latest choices

Visit Florida aims to highlight new visitor options

TOURISM organisation Visit Florida expects the Sunshine State to maintain its 1.5 million annual UK visitors with the aid of a promotional budget of $800,000 for its 2000/2001 fiscal year.

With state partner and UK tour operator involvement, it anticipates this figure will rise to around $1.5 million in order to strengthen and diversify the Florida market.

Although the UK family market to Orlando remains the dominant sector, Visit Florida wants to encourage more independent travel to less well known areas, including suggested self-drive itineraries in the northeast. These are part of a series of new Worth The Drive tours throughout the state being promoted at World Travel Market.

Resorts with style

Meanwhile, Miami, and South Beach in particular, is finding favour as a trendy resort and short-break option in more operators’ programmes. This reflects massive investment in new and renovated hotels, especially in Art Deco South Beach area.

Other representatives on the Florida stand will be from Daytona Beach, Central Florida, Orlando/ Orange County, Florida’s Gulf Coast Islands, Fort Lauderdale, St Petersburg/Clearwater, Tampa and the Florida Keys.

They will be outlining product developments and new holiday ideas at the show in the run-up to the US Pow Wow trade show, being held in Orlando in May next year.

The added attraction of more cruising options from Miami and Port Canaveral along the Space Coast is also boosting new ideas for Florida combination holidays.

Visit Florida director of European marketing Colin Brodie said: “For some years much of the UK’s Florida product was static despite the trend towards lifestyle or activity holidays.

“Now there is a substantial group of repeat visitors looking for niche holidays, and Florida has plenty. It has just taken the trade a while to break the mould and offer better options within their programmes.”

Driving sales: Visit Florida will be promoting more diverseattractions to the UK market

St Petersburg/Clearwater

The Gulf Coast resort area is promoting itself under the label of Florida’s Beach at this year’s World Travel Market.

It is also launching a Web site under the same brand name for users to preview and book a wide range of accommodation. Called www.FloridasBeach.com it claims to instantly update rates and availability.

The new branding follows a Florida International University survey of 650 US beaches last year in which Clearwater was named best city beach on the Gulf Coast.

Another new Web site for visitors is www.greenmap.com which lists a comprehensive inventory of eco-tourism activities throughout the area.

The St Petersburg/Clearwater Convention and Visitors Bureau will also highlight a multi-million-dollar infrastructure revamp and new attractions.

Development plan

Clearwater has started an $80 million redevelopment plan that will include a new fixed-span bridge linking downtown with the beach, while St Petersburg has opened a $40 million Baywalk entertainment complex which includes a 20-screen movie theatre.

Nearby Weedon Island, a 1,500-acre nature reserve, will be home to a multi-million-dollar Native American Cultural Centre focusing on the communities that inhabited the area from 10,000 BC to 1,200 AD. More details of these projects will be available at the St Petersburg/Clearwater stand.

Lead the way:Miami is finding favour as a short-break destination among operators

The Florida Keys

Water-based, soft-adventure activities are a major area being promoted by the Florida Keys and Key West delegation at Earl’s Court.

It will be updating visitors on the options available, as well as focusing on the region’s culture and heritage, new attractions and accommodation.

Monroe County Tourism Development Council is responsible for promoting the Keys, and new international sales manager Sabine Pons is joined at the show by director Harold Wheeler, sales director Stacey Mitchell and sales manager Steve Smith.

On hand to showcase a wide range of accommodation will be representatives from Grand Key Resort, Hawks Cay, the Hotel Consortia Group and Pelican Cove.

The 216-room luxury Grand Key has just opened in Key West, while Hawks Cay in Marathon recently completed a $50 million renovation and expansion, including the addition of 240 waterfront villas.

The delegation will also use World Travel Market to focus on special events, which the Keys hopes will provide a greater spread year-long UK business.

Details will be available on events, such as the Hemingway Days, a week-long celebration of author and former resident Ernest Hemingway; the Underwater Music Festival, which raises awareness of the area’s reef conservation efforts; and FantasyFest, the Keys’ own Mardi Gras-style festival.

Key West: the WTMdelegation will be promoting the new accommodation options available

Keys water sports on the Web

&#42 For information and pricing on fishing and boating in the Florida Keys, contact www.DocksideNet.com.

&#42 Horizon Divers is Key Largo’s newest full-service divecentre offering half and full-day snorkel and scuba trips aboard a 45ft catamaran. Prices range from $25 for ahalf-day snorkelling trip to $100 for a tour including three shipwreck dives and lunch. Contact www.horizondivers.com.

&#42 Snuba trips are now offered by Fury Catamarans on one of its 128-passenger vessels off Key West. The company also features sailing and full snorkelling trips. Contact www.furycat.com.