Open Jaw :: On The Town ::

with Martha Chapman
26JAN09

The team represented destinations and attractions from Panama City all the way south to Key West

The perfect lunchtime pick-me-up – a neck massage!

Beth Fleeton of Universal Orlando Resort with a famous green friend

“Oh! That Feels So Good!”

Visit Florida had a gaggle of travel types feeling very good recently when they invited us to an imaginatively-themed luncheon at the spa in the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown YYZ. As well as a casual lunch poolside (avec shrimp, of course!) the hosts kindly treated us all to shoulder massages and hand treatments.

The murmurs of appreciation from the guests were almost as loud as those from the hosts expressing their gratitude for all the business from Canada.

“For the first nine months of last year, we estimate 2.5 million Canadians visited the Sunshine State,” Henny Groenendijk of Visit Florida’s Canada team told us. “And that’s about a 15 per cent increase over the same period the previous year!”

Yes, the Yanks are staying at home in droves and even UK visitors are preferring pubs to palm trees as they too lick their financial wounds. But us good old Canucks, it appears, can be guaranteed to deliver!

And for even those snowbirds for whom Florida is literally a second home, there’s more to see and do than ever. The 10 members of the delegation told us, among other things, about the new Visit Florida guide called “Been There, Haven’t Done That” with 105 fun and unusual attractions around the state. (Underwater weddings! Haunted towns! Where to eat squirrel!)

There’s a ton of special offers this winter so your clients can stay, dine, shop and sightsee for peanuts. Even swanky Naples has a free Values in Paradise VIP card (valid May through December) with fab discounts and deals.

So spread the good word about the value in Florida this winter and you and your clients will be saying “Oh! That feels so good!”