florida tourism ad

State launches tourism ad campaign to encourage Florida visitors during winter

Florida is getting back to nature to lure you and the rest of the state to explore trails, and not just on land.

It's part of a new $5 million on-air and online ad campaign funded by the State Legislature to not only attract Floridians, but those across the nation between now and spring, to bike, hike or take to the water in Florida's great outdoors, on 15,000 miles of trails.

“It became very clear that people, Floridians and people outside the state don't understand the vast network of trails that we have,” said Visit Florida CEO Dana Young.

“It was a perfect opportunity for some funding to be set aside for Visit Florida to educate travelers about the vast opportunities that we have in nature, in Florida,” Young said.

Visit Florida's online "trails hub" also links you to videos featuring local trails like the one in DeBary, where the Coast to Coast Trail, the St. Johns River to Sea Loop, and the Heart of Florida Loop all meet.

The campaign recalls the popularity of outdoor destinations during the COVID-19 pandemic when hotels and attractions along International Drive were idle, and focusing on beaches and parks helped the industry rebound.

That's why Visit Florida is investing another $3 million in a winter ad campaign running nationally called "refresh families" aimed at driving families to Florida during the cold months and to plan summer vacations.

“We saw how bad it can be during the early stages of the pandemic when people were not traveling and so many people were not working. Now, we are dominating tourism in the U.S. and globally, and we are there to support the industry at Visit Florida,” Young added, saying the new campaign is vital to keeping the half million central Florida tourism workers on the job.

The winter ad campaign for Visit Florida runs through January.

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Florida's Tourism agency launches Post-Ian ad campaign

Florida’s tourism-marketing agency has put together a promotional campaign, with an initial cost of about $2.7 million, to highlight parts of the state not ravaged by Hurricane Ian.

The Visit Florida campaign, which will run on digital and social-media platforms through the end of October, shows recent footage from 14 parts of the state with the message, “Sun’s Shining in Florida.”

Visit Florida Chairman Greg Cook, the general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, said in a prepared statement that the “new marketing plan will help amplify the message that we are still open for business and that we stand ready to help our Southwest Florida partners as soon as they are ready.”

The agency paused its marketing efforts as the Category 4 hurricane made landfall Sept. 28 in Lee and Charlotte counties and crossed the state. The agency quickly recorded images from Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Destin, Tallahassee, Amelia Island, St. Augustine and the Florida Keys for the new campaign.

“Our marketing programs will help protect Florida’s tourism brand and demonstrate to visitors that Florida offers infinite vacation options,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a statement Thursday.

Visit Florida has similarly worked to offset past negative media coverage from hurricanes and issues such as the Zika virus and algae blooms. Visit Florida also is working on plans for areas recovering from the storm, with those efforts “ready for implementation when they are ready to welcome visitors.”

During a roundtable discussion Wednesday with Gov. Ron DeSantis, Marty Harrity, owner of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille in Sanibel, stressed the need to rebuild so the area can again attract tourists.

“We’re an economy that depends on tourism, and we’ve got to get the people back here,” Harrity said.

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Visit florida ad campaign running nationwide invites people to enjoy vacation freedom.

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A new Visit Florida ad campaign airing in 48 states through June is inviting people to enjoy the kind of vacation freedom available in few other states.

The $7 million ad campaign from Visit Florida will air through June.

A new survey shows 33% of people are letting COVID-19 affect their travel plans, which is the lowest since the pandemic began and 87% plan to vacation in the next six months.

The survey also shows 55% feel safe traveling, 52% feel safe dining and shopping, and 51% support welcoming visitors to their communities.

"I think they are seeing the perfect combination of factors that is influencing their decisions to travel to Florida, so we're incredibly optimistic about the number of people coming to Florida," said Visit Florida CEO Dana Young.

One of the best indicators that tourism is coming back to Central Florida, is the traffic on International Drive. It's not just Florida license plates, but those from Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.

"Last week was probably our best week ever since COVID-19 hit," said John Stine, who is with the company that owns the Orlando StarFlyer.

Stine said spring break is generating healthy business, keeping workers on the job and expectations for a summer rebound are strong.

"I think once we get back into Memorial Day, you know, summer starts, I think we're going to see more pent up demand more people wanting to come out and do things like what we offer here in Central Florida," Stine said.

Watch CBS News

Florida Launches $13M Tourism Ad Campaign Aimed At Residents To 'Enjoy Everything Our Beautiful State Has To Offer'

September 2, 2020 / 7:10 PM EDT / CBS Miami

DAYTONA BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new $13 million ad campaign to encourage Floridians to vacation in the state leading into the Labor Day holiday weekend.

The video ad encourages people to take advantage of the state's golf courses, beaches, fishing and other outdoor activities. He made the announcement in Daytona Beach along with VISIT FLORIDA CEO and President Dana Young.

"This new intrastate marketing campaign is the latest step we're taking to help get people back to work," said Governor DeSantis. "While the pandemic is not over, and safety remains paramount, we encourage Floridians to venture out of their homes to enjoy everything our beautiful state has to offer."

DeSantis said it's safe to visit theme parks and other Florida destinations.

"I think there's a lot of pent up demand to kind of do some stuff. I think it's a rough patch for so many people throughout our country," DeSantis said.

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DeSantis noted that he never ordered the state's beaches to close during what he called "hysteria in the air" in the early days of the pandemic, and that helped Daytona Beach weather the economic crisis better than other areas.

"People said 'You have to do that, that's just so important.' I did not do that, I was criticized for it, of course, but it was the right decision," DeSantis said.

DeSantis also said he's looking at increasing the capacity at restaurants and reopening bars.

"My sense of some of these rigid capacity requirements probably aren't necessary at this point because I think people understand how to distance, how to do different things," DeSantis said.

Tourism in Florida accounts for more than 1.5 million jobs and $91 billion in revenue in 2019. But, due to a global downturn in travel caused by COVID-19, Florida visitation dropped by more than 60 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Daytona tourism agency honored for TV ad in 'Beach On' campaign

A TV ad in the “Beach On” tourism campaign by the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau was honored by Visit Florida with a Flagler Award at the 2023 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Orlando.

The Daytona Beach CVB received the Silver Award in the Television Advertising category for its “Beach On” commercial spot that features a young girl riding her first wave in a surf lesson along the sands of Daytona Beach.

 “She won’t remember her first word. She won’t remember her first steps. But she will never ever forget her first wave,” intones the narrator in the ad planned and produced in collaboration with the CVB’s advertising agency of record, The Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee.

“We’re proud to receive this recognition from Visit Florida at the Florida Governor’s Conference,” said Lori Campbell Baker, the CVB’s executive director. “This Flagler Award reflects the important work by the team at the Daytona Beach Area CVB, the Zimmerman Agency, and the Halifax Advertising Authority Board, who are all passionately promoting the destination and encouraging visitors to experience all that the Daytona Beach area has to offer for themselves.”

Each year, leaders in Florida tourism are chosen by selection committees to receive the prestigious Flagler honors.

Named for Florida’s legendary industrialist and philanthropist Henry Flagler, the Flagler Awards were established in 2000 to recognize outstanding tourism marketing in Florida. The awards are open to all individuals, private businesses and not-for-profit organizations offering a product or service that promotes the state’s tourism industry.

In the TV advertising category, the Daytona Beach CVB finished behind first-place recipient Visit Lauderdale, honored for its “Welcome” ad; and ahead of Experience Kissimmee, honored for its Shoulder Season campaign.

Florida News | COVID pandemic slashed return on Florida…

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Subscriber only, florida news | covid pandemic slashed return on florida tourism marketing efforts, report says.

TALLAHASSEE — Visit Florida saw its return on investment fall to 58 cents for every $1 spent on marketing as COVID-19 slammed the doors on the state’s tourism industry, according to a new analysis by state economists.

But with tourists back at beaches, theme parks and other attractions, the analysis projects that Visit Florida’s economic return will rebound to pre-pandemic levels.

The analysis, released Tuesday by the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research, looked at the 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 fiscal years. The pandemic hit in early 2020, largely shutting down the tourism industry and having longer-lasting ramifications for issues such as international travel.

Visit Florida, a public-private agency, receives state money to lead tourism-marketing efforts. The report seeks to measure the economic benefit, or return on investment, for money that went to Visit Florida.

The analysis found that the return on investment during the three fiscal years fell dramatically from the prior three years, when it was $3.27 for every $1 spent.

Economists pinned the blame on the pandemic, as employment in the leisure and hospitality industry dropped and tourism numbers plummeted. As an example, visitor counts fell from a then-record 131.069 million in 2019 to 79.397 million in 2020.

“The overall decline in ROI (return on investment) is exacerbated by the precipitous drop in FY 2021-22 to an ROI of 0.11,” the analysis said. “While the overall tourism count had rebounded to near pre-COVID levels by then … the composition was significantly different and still reeled from the effects of the pandemic shock.”

To revive the industry after initial shutdowns, Visit Florida first focused on getting Floridians to visit other parts of the state and luring Americans who would drive from other parts of the country. The agency subsequently tried to bring back international travelers.

Overall tourist counts grew to 121.838 million in 2021, 137.4 million in 2022 and 135.02 million last year. In 2023, numbers of overseas and Canadian travelers remained just below 2019 totals.

Tuesday’s analysis attributed the rebound to the state’s beaches and an increase in advertising by such things as theme parks.

“Based on its share of total tourism advertising spend, Visit Florida is responsible for approximately 3.45 (million), 4.66 (million), and 4.30 million visitors during the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 fiscal years, respectively,” the analysis said. “The remaining marketing-influenced visitors are attributable to the efforts of the four other major marketing contributors (local public, local private, Visit Florida private, and theme parks).”

A spokeswoman for Visit Florida said Tuesday the agency was reviewing the report.

During the three-year period analyzed, Visit Florida received $50 million a year from the Legislature and additional matching money from private partners. In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the agency received an additional $30 million in federal pandemic-related money.

The analysis estimated Disney, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld were responsible for $787.9 million in marketing during the review period, which “accounted for 33.5 percent of all major tourism marketing efforts in the state.”

In a measure of the impact of COVID-19, Disney saw its attendance go from 58.58 million at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in 2019 to 18.67 million in 2020, according to state figures. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, which are owned by the same parent company, went from 8.82 million to 2.88 million. Universal properties in Florida went from 21.29 million to 8.1 million in the same time.

By 2022, Disney’s attendance was up to 47.06 million, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay hit 8.5 million, and Universal properties were at 21.7 million.

The estimated spending by the theme parks didn’t include dollars they provide to Visit Florida, local governments and direct-marketing organizations.

Lawmakers included $80 million for Visit Florida in the proposed budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, which will start July 1. The budget has not been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, economists looked at a 10-year period and said “the current working ROI of 3.3 percent is more reflective of the Visit Florida program over a longer period of time and should be used for all forward-looking analyses.”

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Despite Battle Over Politics, Florida Tourism Rolls On

Even as civil rights groups suggest travelers should rethink trips to the state because of policies enacted by its Republican lawmakers, it remains a tourism juggernaut. And some visitors say their spending actually supports opposition to the new laws.

By Tariro Mzezewa

For months leading up to Jean Franco Rivera’s one-year wedding anniversary, he had the perfect plan to celebrate: Travel to Disney World and go on all his favorite rides with his husband, Ahmed, and brother-in-law, Luis. The three men, all gay and Latino, are originally from Puerto Rico, but now live in Texas. As the trip approached, ‌Jean Franco, 42, said they felt somewhat concerned about traveling to a state that had passed legislation targeting L.G.B.T.Q. people in recent months.

But in the end, they went.

And on a recent Saturday, they were just part of the usual throng of people at the Orlando theme park, waiting in line for Space Mountain, Guardians of the Galaxy and Jean Franco’s favorite ride, Flight of Passage. At Disney World that day, you would never have known that the League of United Latin American Citizens, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the L.G.B.T.Q. organization Equality Florida had all recently issued warnings telling people to reconsider coming to Florida because of the policies of Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican lawmakers.

I had traveled to Florida in the wake of the N.A.A.C.P.’s advisory to see whether the warnings had any effect. The Riveras and other travelers told me that while they were against many laws recently passed in Florida,they didn’t feel that canceling their vacations would help anyone — or change the policies. In fact, several travelers said that they visited Disney and certain parts of Florida to get away from politics.

“Coming to Disney, especially, is like entering a safe zone,” ‌‌Stephanie Kate Jones, who was visiting the park from Wales in the United Kingdom, told me. “Coming here is a way to escape reality and the stress of everyday life.”

And while the warnings were widely covered outside the state , they have so far seemed to have little or no impact on tourism numbers.

“Travel has always transcended politics,” said Stacy Ritter, the president and chief executive of Visit Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale tourism organization. “People have always traveled to places where they don’t agree with the politics because they want to see something new, different. They want an experience. They want a vacation.”

DeSantis vs. Disney

Governor DeSantis, who was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2022 election, has introduced socially conservative policies, from the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” education bill limiting gender and sex education to the decision to bar the teaching of Advanced Placement African American history because it was a form of “ indoctrination ” to a tough crackdown on undocumented immigration.

Mr. DeSantis, who recently entered the 2024 presidential race, has also been in a dispute with Disney since last year, when the company said it would pause political donations in Florida‌ because of the‌ sex education bill. ‌ The two sides then began battling for control of the board that oversees Disney World’s development, with Mr. DeSantis trying to take control of it and limit Disney’s authority.

Disney sued the governor over the issue this spring and in May the company said it was scrapping a $1 billion development in Orlando.

While announcing his candidacy for presidency, Mr. DeSantis said that the N.A.A.C.P. advisory was “a total farce.” The travel warnings, he said, were a political stunt . “These left wing groups have been doing it for many, many years. And at the end of the day, what they’re doing is colluding with legacy media to try to manufacture a narrative,” he said.

But Brandon Wolf, the press secretary of Equality Florida said that the organization has received an increasing number of inquiries about whether it is safe for L.G.B.T.Q. travelers to go to Florida. “We felt it imperative that we answer the incoming inquiries honestly and completely,” he said.

In announcing L.U.L.A.C.’s advisory, the group’s president, Domingo Garcia, had warned that “DeSantis’ enforcement regulations will treat us like criminals, transporting a dangerous person who only wanted to visit family or enjoy Disney World.”

And Derrick Johnson, the president and chief executive of the N.A.A.C.P. said in an email in response to Mr. DeSantis’s comments: “As long as our contributions to this country and the powerful stories of our rich backgrounds, continued struggle and survival are denied, Black Americans need not pour our labor, time, or money into the state.”

The Sunshine State juggernaut

Florida is a tourism juggernaut. In 2022, it had 137.6 million visitors, the most in its history, according to Visit Florida, the state tourism organization, and in May the governor’s office proudly shared that Florida welcomed 37.9 million people in the first three months of this year.

Orlando remains the most-visited city in the United States — 74 million people traveled there in 2022. According to Visit Florida, in 2021, visitors to the state contributed $101.9 billion to Florida’s economy and supported more than 1.7 million Florida jobs.

While many Floridians said that travel warnings from civil rights organizations have symbolic meaning, few said they were concerned that people would stop visiting the state altogether. Some people recalled the backlash over North Carolina’s‌ 2016 “bathroom bill,” which kept transgender people from using bathrooms that aligned with their gender. The fallout over that bill was immediate and significant, leading to its repeal.

Nicolas Graf, associate dean at New York University’s School of Professional Studies’ Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, said a state’s policies might keep those who are politically active from visiting a destination, but “the notion that travelers — business or leisure travelers — will really change their behavior due to politics, I think that’s a minority of people.”

And that’s true across the political spectrum: Lance Toland, a conservative Georgia-based business owner who approves of Mr. DeSantis’s attempts to rein in Disney, said a state’s policies wouldn’t keep him from visiting. Liberal laws in California, for example, don’t keep him from going there, he said. “I can’t worry about what each state’s stance is. It doesn’t affect me.”

In many popular tourist spots, life was going on without interruption when I visited. In Winter Park, just north of Orlando, lines for restaurants like Prato, a casual Italian spot with a large outdoor patio, were lengthy. When I stopped several shoppers exiting upscale boutiques along Park Avenue, they said that while they had heard of the dispute between Disney and Mr. DeSantis, they hadn’t heard about the travel advisories.

Ashley Smith, 32, was visiting a friend in Winter Park for the weekend and was heading out for a boat tour of Winter Park’s lakes. Asked what she thought about the advisories, she said that she didn’t understand how limiting her travels could possibly be connected to the state’s political dramas.

A more welcoming stance

The advisories come after years of work by tourism officials across the state to expand its visitor base. In 2021, for example, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that it had changed its name to Visit Lauderdale and it had a new flashy tagline: “Everyone Under the Sun.”

Visit Lauderdale was just one of several tourism boards in the state that, in the past decade, have recognized that international, Black, Latino and L.G.B.T.Q. travelers have the discretionary income to spend on vacations and real estate and that it would be smart to appeal to them.

But these days, tourism boards, destination marketing organizations and travel businesses around the state are trying to figure out how to keep appealing to a diverse range of travelers.

Many of them prefer not to address the controversy directly. Florida’s tourism marketing organizations are funded through a bed tax — when a traveler checks into a hotel or resort, a percentage of what they pay for their stay goes to fund the work done by visitors’ and tourism organizations. That tax is controlled by state statute. Leaders of three destination marketing organizations‌, all asking to speak anonymously, said that while they do not support the recently enacted laws‌ they are worried that criticizing Mr. DeSantis publicly could lead to retaliation by the Legislature, which could cut back or eliminate funding for their organizations.

Jen Cousins, the co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project and a mother of four who is part of a federal suit challenging the sex education bill, said she believes that players in the travel industry, including cruises, airlines, destination marketing organizations and others, ‌should speak up against the recent legislation. She also noted that in meetings with the education secretary, Miguel Cardona; the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adm. Rachel Levine; and the secretary of health and human services, Xavier Becerra, she and other activists were told they had the support in Washington, but, she said, “no one has stepped in.” The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment.

Ms. Ritter, the president and chief executive of Visit Lauderdale, ‌was willing to go on the record. “Do I think the impact will be felt immediately? No, I don’t,” she said.

But, she said, she’s already seeing business and corporate travelers, who make up a significant part of the travel industry, look elsewhere. In the week after the civil rights organizations issued their warnings, seven large conferences and conventions walked back their plans to be in Fort Lauderdale, she said. Many event organizers, Ms. Ritter said, are looking ahead to events happening three to five years from now and far fewer are considering Florida. Her organization isn’t even bidding for certain events because they feel like a lost cause.

“And that’s directly related to state policies,” she said.

Not really Florida‌‌

Part of Jean Franco Rivera’s reason for going ahead with his anniversary trip was that he felt his travel dollars were actually being spent in opposition to Mr. DeSantis’s policies, because they were going to Disney. “Disney is standing up for our rights and being here feels like supporting their decision to stand up to DeSantis,” he said. “Many people who work at Disney are part of our community, the ‌L.G.B.T.Q. community, and being here is our way of supporting them.”

Many travelers‌ I met at Disney World and along the Jacksonville Beach Pier suggested that the parts of the state that they were most likely to visit were, in some way, not really Florida. ‌Key West, Miami, Wilton Manors, St. Petersburg and Sarasota traditionally vote Democratic and have swaths of ‌L.G.B.T.Q. and immigrant residents who, in many cases, disagree with the legislation being put forth. Visitors said that by supporting the economies of these places they could defy the state’s Republican lawmakers.

They also said they felt conflicted about the advisories, saying the warnings felt like an escalation of politics that could potentially harm local business owners, low-earning residents and liberal enclaves more than Mr. DeSantis or Republican lawmakers.

Some Florida residents felt the same way. “As a resident of Orlando, our tourist mecca, I don’t tend to advocate for a travel ban because a lot of our friends work in these low-paying travel jobs,” said Ms. Cousins. “They’re the ones being affected, not the top-paid C.E.O.s.”

For the moment, those involved in tourism in the state feel like they are walking a line. Rachel Covello, of Outcoast , a digital magazine that focuses on L.G.B.T.Q. community, said that the publication used to promote the state overall as an ‌inclusive destination. Now, while not telling people to say away, she said, it is highlighting specific destinations that are known to welcome L.G.B.T.Q. travelers.

“We pivoted our focus,” she said. “We don’t want to look like we’re blind to what’s happening in our own state as we’re promoting tourism.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

Tariro Mzezewa , a former national correspondent at The Times, is a reporter who writes about culture and style. More about Tariro Mzezewa

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While Florida's tourism dipped slightly in 2023, international tourism continued strong rebound

The Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency reported an 18.3% increase in international tourists compared to 2022.

While Florida saw a slight decline in the total number of tourists in 2023, the number of international visitors continues to show a strong rebound following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, Florida welcomed an estimated 135 million tourists according to the Visit Florida tourism marketing agency. That’s down from 137.4 million the year before, but up from 131.1 million in 2019 – the last full year of data before the pandemic.

Visit Florida reported an 18.3% increase in international tourists year over year, with 8.3 million from overseas (up 18.7% from 2022) and 3.8 million from Canada (up 45.5%).

Agency officials said this is the closest the state’s international visitation has come to full recovery since the beginning of the pandemic. They also say it’s noteworthy considering current economic challenges.

"Even as we faced the challenges of rising travel costs and widespread inflation, Florida's tourism sector not only persevered but flourished," Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a statement.

In 2023, a record 45.9 million visitors flew into Florida, the largest number since 2016.

The agency also saw a 15.9% increase in fourth quarter 2023 overseas visitors and a 22% increase in fourth quarter Canadian visitors compared to 2022. However, there was a decrease of 12.1% in domestic tourists year over year.

And the area hit by Hurricane Ian in Sept. 2022 posted a recovery.

In the fourth quarter 2023, Fort Myers saw a 32.4% increase in visitors, compared to the same period a year earlier. The Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau reported the fourth-quarter visitation was up by 65.8% compared to 2022.

The News Service of Florida reports the state Senate has proposed $80 million for Visit Florida in its proposed budget for the upcoming 2024-2025 fiscal year, the same as in the current year. The House has countered with a $30 million proposal, and Gov. Ron Desantis has recommended $105 million.

Opinion Columnists | Scott Maxwell: Visit Orlando spends $600,000 on…

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Subscriber only, opinion columnists | visit orlando spends $600,000 on taylor swift ad | commentary.

We have a lot of ground to cover today, including a controversial cop-training program coming to Kissimmee and a Florida school whose leader canceled Autism Awareness Week over concerns that it was “demonic.”

But first, let’s talk about Taylor Swift.

More specifically, let’s talk about the $600,000 that Orange County’s taxpayer-funded tourism bureau, Visit Orlando, is spending to air a 30-second commercial during Swift’s new on-demand version of her “Eras Tour.”

I’ve long argued that theme parks should pay for their own darn advertising — the way virtually every other business does — rather than rely on taxpayers.

But Orange County steers about $100 million a year to Visit Orlando. And fans of this corporate welfare always argue that they’re not just promoting the theme parks, but also museums, cultural attractions and mom-and-pop ventures.

Well, I encourage you to watch this 30-second ad that cost more than half a million dollars. It opens by featuring a family at Disney. (Mom’s even wearing mouse ears to help promote the Disney brand.)

Then it features SeaWorld. Then Universal. Then it goes back to Disney. Then SeaWorld. Then Disney again. Then SeaWorld. Then Disney for a fourth time. Then back to Universal.

Perhaps to prebut the expected criticism, the ad concludes with an image of a couple kayaking in a river that appears to be real and not on theme-park property.

The ad’s not bad. But make no mistake: This is a $600,000 taxpayer-subsidized promotion for theme parks, particularly for Disney.

And would you like to guess where Visit Orlando is paying to air this ad? On Disney+. That’s the streaming service carrying the Swift concert.

You’d think Disney could use its own resources to promote its own theme parks. Then again, why would this multi-billion-dollar company use its own money when Orange County politicians are willing to use their tax dollars?

Keep in mind: The same county refuses to use one nickel of that hotel-tax money to improve this region’s sad-sack transit system.

Compare that to Las Vegas, where that tourism town’s visitors bureau — which is also funded by hotel taxes — helps pay for transit solutions. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority actually runs Sin City’s monorail system .

Visit Orlando gets $96 million. Lynx gets $54 million. That’s messed up | Commentary

Here, local leaders would rather talk about raising your sales taxes.

Listen, these are all choices. And in Central Florida, the choice is often theme parks over residents. And in this particular case, the choice was to spend a lot of money promoting Disney on a Disney-owned network.

Tourism businesses don’t contribute squat to Visit Orlando | Commentary

‘Demonic’ education

Last week, the Palm Beach Post carried this disturbing story : “Private Palm Beach County school cancels autism week after pastor says activities ‘demonic.’”

According to the paper, families at the school were baffled when the pastor sent out a school-wide email equating heightened awareness of autism with “idolatry,” which he considered “demonic.”

You might be inclined to just shake your head and think: Just another Flori-duh story. But don’t dismiss it too quickly. Because there’s something you should remember: You helped pay for this nonsense.

That’s because this school, Trinity Christian Academy in Lake Worth, is a major recipient of public money through the state’s voucher program. Records show it is receiving more than $2 million this school year alone.

If you’re wondering how a place like this qualifies, it’s because — as the Orlando Sentinel has written scores of times — practically any school qualifies. In this state’s wildly unregulated system, schools can receive millions of tax dollars without proving they’re actually educating kids, hiring qualified teachers or even teaching factual information.

They are, as the Sentinel’s award-winning series was titled, “ Schools without Rules .”

I’d argue taxpayers deserve to know what kind of education their tax dollars are supporting. But Florida politicians have decided that school “choice” shouldn’t be burdened by pesky things like standards and transparency … which is how you end up with high school dropouts working as “teachers” and autism awareness equated with demons.

Questionable cop training

A controversial training seminar for police officers is coming to Central Florida in two weeks.

How controversial? Well, after the New Jersey Attorney General reviewed video from a past “Street Cop Training Conference” — and concluded speakers glorified violence, touted unconstitutional tactics, demeaned women and minorities and made weird references to their own genitals — he ordered more than 200 Garden State officers who attended the conference to be re-trained .

CBS News offered a detailed report : “Hundreds of New Jersey officers retrained after attending controversial Street Cop conference.”

Now the 2024 Street Cop Training Conference is coming to the Gaylord Palms resort in Kissimmee on April 28.

The program’s leaders offered a partial apology and say they’ve amended their ways, while also arguing some aspects of their training program were unfairly maligned. But you have to wonder why departments would choose this program at all, given its history. (And $699 listed price .)

Well, the Orlando Police Department said it wasn’t sending any officers. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it was paying to send two officers “specifically to assess whether it is professional and on the right track.” And the Osceola sheriff’s office didn’t respond to questions about whether it was sending any officers or paying for them.

This seems like one to keep an eye on.

Godspeed. Seriously.

Finally, did you see where Boeing is getting into the space race , debuting a new rocket program designed to carry humans?

Everyone obviously hopes for the best. But, given all the scary headlines Boeing’s planes have made in recent months, this is an interesting time for the company to decide it also wants to get into space travel.

I’m just saying: Somebody better double check the door plugs. And the flight-control system. And the engine cover.

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VISIT FLORIDA Highlights Phenomenal Year for Florida Tourism

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  – Today, VISIT FLORIDA highlighted a successful year for Florida’s tourism industry and the state’s continued economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout 2021, VISIT FLORIDA executed several marketing campaigns that delivered visitation and revenue for communities across the Sunshine State. “Florida tourism’s recovery grew by leaps and bounds in 2021 as a result of VISIT FLORIDA’s highly successful marketing campaigns,” said  VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO Dana Young.  Governor DeSantis’ support and leadership have been crucial for these gains, and we sincerely appreciate everything he does on behalf of our tourism economy. Looking ahead to 2022, VISIT FLORIDA will only be hitting the accelerator as we continue to drive results for every Florida job, business, and taxpayer.” 2021 Highlights:

• VISIT FLORIDA ran a nationwide campaign promoting travel to Florida during the 2020-21 winter season, and expanded the typical Northeast U.S. targeting to include California, Oregon, and Washington in an effort to capture potential travelers desperate for sunshine and freedom. The campaign resulted in an ROAS (return on ad spend) of $311:1 on Expedia.
• Florida’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research calculated that for every $1 invested in VISIT FLORIDA, $3.27 is returned to taxpayers – VISIT FLORIDA’s highest ROI ever.
• As of 2021, all of Florida’s Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are now VISIT FLORIDA partners.
• In Q2, Florida welcomed a total of 31.7 million travelers to the state, representing more than a 220 percent increase from 2020, and a 6 percent increase in domestic visitation from 2019.
• In Q3 2021, Florida welcomed a total of 32.5 million travelers to the state, marking the first time overall visitation has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. It also marks the second consecutive quarter of growth in domestic visitation, with a 7 percent increase in domestic travelers in Q3 from the same period in 2019.
• VISIT FLORIDA created, produced, and distributed “Wanderlust,” a Florida docuseries in partnership with The Weather Network and Air Canada. The series aired on The Weather Network during winter as Canadians were stuck inside.
• VISIT FLORIDA hosted Virtual Florida Huddle, the organization’s first large-scale, virtual, global trade show.
• VISIT FLORIDA met with Partners in Mexico City, marking its first mission trip abroad since the beginning of the pandemic last year.
• VISIT FLORIDA expanded its COVID rebound efforts with a Families focused campaign to increase the desirability of a Florida vacation and capture those who are ready to travel now. The campaign was extremely successful, with the Expedia portion resulting in an ROAS (return on ad spend) of 432:1.
• VISIT FLORIDA conducted several successful campaigns with AAA Northeast, American Airlines, American Airline Vacations, Allegiant Airlines, and United Airlines. The campaigns overperformed by over 47 percent, with the United portion alone resulting in an ROAS (return on ad spend) of 20:1.
• Earlier this year, VISIT FLORIDA was awarded $5 million in CARES Act grant funding by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), 100% of which is being used to assist our DMO partners throughout the state with VISIT FLORIDA’s largest co-operative advertising effort ever. The in-state portion, which ran October 4 through November 28, focused on state pride. The national portion, running from November 29 through April 3, continues the momentum of the Power of Vacation messaging.
• Aligned with the reopening of international travel to the U.S., VISIT FLORIDA executed successful marketing campaigns throughout Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil), the U.K., Germany, and Canada.
• For the first time ever, VISIT FLORIDA and a delegation of executive leadership from six Florida DMOs – Discover the Palm Beaches, Experience Kissimmee, Greater Miami CVB, Visit Orlando, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and Visit Tampa Bay – traveled to Colombia to help bolster visitation from this crucially important international market.
• To kick off the holiday shopping season a few weeks ago, VISIT FLORIDA launched the Gift of Florida campaign. Running on Expedia through December 24, the campaign inspires people to choose Florida vacation experiences over material items in their gift-giving. Florida is a top winter destination, and with ongoing retail supply chain issues, this effort will fortify Florida’s hotels, vacation packages, and other offerings as the perfect holiday gift.

Rick Scott to launch a multi-million dollar ad buy focused on Florida Hispanics

Sen. Rick Scott is rolling out a multi-million dollar ad buy focused on Florida’s key block of Hispanic voters, which have increasingly supported Republicans in recent years.

Scott is running for his second term in the Senate against former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and is considered a heavy favorite, but Democrats in the state gained a shot of momentum this week after key abortion rulings from the Florida Supreme Court.

Scott’s campaign estimates it will spend $700,000 a week for a series TV, radio, and streaming service ads in both English and Spanish. 

There will be different ads over the multi-week ad buy, with the first TV spot being a softer ad that does not mention Mucarsel-Powell, but features Scott trying to center what amounts to his opening message around his “fight against the socialist agenda in Washington.”

“Socialism will kill the freedoms that create opportunity and erase the values that bind us together,” Scott says in the ad. “I’m Rick Scott, America represents what is good and possible.”

Scott has relied heavily on the issue throughout his political career, and used the same message to go after Mucarsel-Powell in a race that has at times gotten heated early. 

“Former Congresswoman Mucarsel-Powell is a radical socialist who voted 100% of the time with Nancy Pelosi during her short tenure in Congress, which is why the voters of South Florida booted her out of office the first chance they got,” Scott said of Mucarsel-Powell when she entered the race last August.

Mucarsel-Powell, who was born in Ecuador, was elected to the House in 2018 to represent a South Florida district, but lost after just one term in to Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez in a year where Donald Trump won Florida by more than 3 points in the presidential race.

Mucarsel-Powell has pushed back on Scott’s framing, calling the attacks against her politically driven misinformation.

“No amount of lies Rick Scott serves up will cover the fact that he has left Florida’s Latino communities behind by attacking access to affordable health care, refusing to take action to end gun violence, and backing authoritarian laws to control Floridians’ private health care decisions,” said Lauren Chou, the spokeswoman for the Mucarsel-Powell campaign. “Instead of fighting for economic opportunities, Rick Scott has prioritized cheap political games and stood by extremists who claim immigrants poison the blood of our country.”

“Latinos are fed up with Rick Scott — and that’s why they’ll support Debbie Mucarsel-Powell this November,” she added.

Scott, Florida's former two-term governor, is undefeated in statewide races. He has spent over $150 million from his vast wealth on past campaigns, and has already put nearly $3 million in personal funds into his re-election campaign. 

Republicans have dominated the state in recent election cycles, including in 2018 when Scott beat then-Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat. Because of that, Florida's 2024 Senate race has not been considered a major part of the political math for either party as Democrats try to hold their slim majority in the chamber.

Democrats hope that changed this week with two major abortion rulings from the Florida Supreme Court. The first allowed Florida to enact a restrictive six-week abortion ban, and another will allow a ballot measure sought by reproductive rights groups to be placed on the ballot in November. If it garners at least 60% of the vote in November, the right to an abortion up to the point a viability, typically around 24 weeks, would be enshrined in the state’s constitution.

Following the court decisions, President Joe Biden’s campaign issued a memo making the case that it could win Florida, and started running ads on the abortion in Florida. Democratic candidates up and down the ballot also hoped the issue could return Florida to its battleground state status.

“For us to keep the Senate majority…it runs through Florida, we are a purple state and I have been saying this for months,” Mucarsel-Powell told MSNBC's " The ReidOut with Joy Reid " on Monday, the day the ruling was announced. “Florida is back, baby.”

Matt Dixon is a senior national politics reporter for NBC News, based in Florida.

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Husker Athletics: 2024 AD

Nebraska plucks Washington's AD as the 17th Husker Athletic Director

• Author: Dan McGlynn

In this story:

Before last month, most Husker fans didn't know who Troy Dannen was.  Was it a new flavor of yogurt? A new movie star?

Nah.  Of course he's the new Husker AD.  Interim Husker president, Chris Kabourek wasted no time in signing #16's successor.

Just one week to the day #16 left for the SEC, Troy Dannen was introduced as the new Husker AD.  He is the ninth Husker AD since 1962.  (Tippy Dye, Bob Devaney, Bill Byrne, Steve Pederson, Tom Osborne, Shawn Eichorst, Bill Moos, Trev Alberts and now Dannen.)  .  

Dannen seems to be an excellent fit for Nebraska.  He was raised on a farm outside Marshalltown, Iowa, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and later served as ts AD.  

In case Husker fans don't know, Dannen came to Nebraska after a brief (5 month) stint at the University of Washington.  He replaced Jennifer Cohen who left Washington to take the AD position at Southern California.

Prior to Washington, Dannen was the AD at Northern Iowa (2008-2015) and Tulane University (2015-2023).   When he got to Tulane, Dannen inherited a struggling football program.   Curtis Johnson's teams had gone 15-34 over a four year period at Tulane.  After the '15 season, Johnson was replaced by Willie Fritz.  Fritz's record in his 8 years at Tulane was 54-47.  In his last two seasons with The Green Wave his teams went 12-2 (beat USC in the Cotton Bowl) and the next year Tulane went 11-2.  Sounds like a perfect time to go job hunting, right?

And that's what happened.  Before the end of the '23 season, Fritz took the head football coaching job at the University of Houston.  Dannen needed a new head coach.

So he hired Jon Sumrall from Troy University.  Sumrall won't coach his first game at Tulane until this fall.

Did Fritz's leaving Tulane have anything to do with Dannen's move to UW?  Did the departure of Washington's head football coach Kalen DeBoer (to Alabama) influence Dannen's decision to leave the Husky athletic program this year?

It's probably much more than just two coaches leaving for greener pastures.

Here's what Dannen said when he was introduced last October as the new Husky Athletic Director:

I am so honored to have the opportunity to serve the University of Washington, our students, coaches, staff, faculty and incredible fans.  Throughout this process, the passion, love and spirit of the UW was evident in every conversation, as was the alignment necessary for comprehensive success. We will compete for championships, and we will provide an unmatched experience for our student-athletes. The future has never been brighter for Husky Athletics, and I am humbled to steward the next chapter in our storied history.  

And here's some of what he said when he was introduced as the new AD at Nebraska just five months later:

Joining the Nebraska family is truly and honor.  My family and I are humbled by the opportunity to be part of such a proud athletics program, institution, community and state.  Growing up in Iowa, I watched a lot of Nebraska football on Saturdays with my family.  I've spent a lot of time in the state and I've found that we share a similar approach to life, work and sports.  Work hard, stay humble, compete and expect to win.

I look forward to doing my part to helping Nebraska win championships across the board. graduate our student-athletes and elevate the world class reputation of the University of Nebraska.  I can't wait to arrive in Lincoln and get to work.

If the two statements sound familiar, they are.  That's completely understandable.  This isn't meant to be an indictment of Dannen.  Coaches and ADs have to make positive comments in their introductions.

Nevertheless, Troy Dannen seemed to hit it out of the park during his introductory press conference in Lincoln.  

In fact his response to a question raised by former Husker offensive lineman, Mike Beran may have registerd with many Nebraska fans.  Beran, who has served as Vice President of the HFLA (Husker Football Letterman's Association) asked Dannen if he planned to make former Husker football players feel more welcomed at UNL.  Dannen's answer was quick and to the point,  

This ( honoring former players ) is a big deal to me.  We don't own the program.  (Pointing to Mike)  You  do.  The players who played-the players who built it, own the program.  We're just renting it.

When ( the current players ) get their degree, they can claim ownership.  But they're renting and they're working on the backs of those people who built this.  But it has to be reiterated: Players need to know that those who came before them carved a path for success.

Don't ever forget it.  

That's a pretty classy comment.  I will support Troy Dannen in any way I can.

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When is Eid al-Fitr 2024 and how is it celebrated?

The three-day festival celebrates the completion of the fasting month of Ramadan by Muslims across the world.

As a new moon was not sighted on Monday evening after Maghrib prayers, Muslims in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries will fast one more day, completing 30 days of Ramadan. The first day of Eid will then be celebrated on Wednesday, April 10.

The first day of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon marking the start of the month of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar.

Keep reading

A ramadan no palestinian will ever forget, the cost of a ramadan iftar meal around the world, ramadan 2024: where do your dates come from, in washington, dc: celebrating ramadan, protesting israel’s siege of gaza.

Lunar months last between 29 and 30 days so Muslims usually have to wait until the night before Eid to verify its date.

Other countries follow independent sightings.

When the sighting has been verified, Eid is declared on television, radio stations and at mosques.

How do Muslims celebrate Eid?

Traditionally, Eid is celebrated for three days as an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries. However, the number of holiday days varies by country.

Muslims begin Eid day celebrations by partaking in a prayer service that takes place shortly after dawn, followed by a short sermon.

On their way to the prayer, which is traditionally held in an open area, Muslims recite takbeerat, praising God by saying “Allahu Akbar”, meaning “God is great”.

It is customary to eat something sweet before the prayer, such as date -filled biscuits known as maamoul in the Middle East. This particular festival is known as the “sweet” Eid – and the distribution of sweets is common across the Muslim world.

Muslims usually spend the day visiting relatives and neighbours and accepting sweets as they move around from house to house.

Each country has traditional desserts and sweets that are prepared before Eid or on the morning of the first day.

Children, dressed in new clothes, are offered gifts and money to celebrate the joyous occasion.

Girls and women in many countries decorate their hands with henna. The celebration for Eid begins the night before as women gather in neighbourhoods and large family gatherings for the application of henna.

In some countries, families visit graveyards to offer their respects to departed family members right after the morning prayers.

It is common for Muslim-majority countries to decorate their cities with lights and hold festivities to commemorate the end of the fasting month.

Eid amid the onslaught in Gaza

For some 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza this Eid, this will be the first Muslim religious holiday after more than 33,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks. With little food aid, and very limited water, Gaza’s Eid al-Fitr will be mired in destruction amid the continuing attacks.

What are common Eid greetings?

The most popular greeting is “Eid Mubarak” (Blessed Eid) or “Eid sa’id” (Happy Eid). Eid greetings also vary depending on the country and language.

The video below shows how people say Eid Mubarak in different languages around the world.