Last Friday, Halifax experienced a taste of the 'theme park capital of the world' as the Visit Orlando Sunshine Tour rolled into town with Open Jaw's Karen Dahdah on hand to absorb some rays. The breakfast event provided travel advisors with the opportunity to network, interact, and gain insights about the destination from numerous travel partners at the marketplace.
Among the attendees representing Orlando's hotels, airport, tour operators, and attractions were Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, Marriott Village Orlando, MCO Airport, Evermore Orlando Resort, Sonesta ES Suites, Grayline, Rosen Hotel and Resorts, and NASA Kennedy Space Centre.
"Canada is Orlando's number one international market, and it has been for many years," shared Laura Kreutzer, Visit Orlando Travel Industry Sales Director - North America. "Last year alone, we brought over 900k visitors, compared to the pre-pandemic level of just over a million, so we're not far from reaching our target in the new year."
The day took a playful turn with a group competition, challenging travel agents to flex their travel-planning muscles. Each group of 8-10 agents received an orange box filled with a list of criteria, clues, and mystery elements to craft the perfect vacation for a family or group. Their mission? To build the ultimate itinerary using only the partners at the trade show and choose from one of three types of itineraries: 'imaginative, realistic, or bang for your buck.' The challenge blended strategy, creativity, and friendly competition as each group curated an 'unbelievably real' experience for their clients, scoring points for the chance to win prizes.
Kreutzer added, "You would need 121 days to experience everything Orlando has to offer." From Michelin-starred restaurants to theme parks, golf, and nature reserves, there's a growing interest among Canadians to explore more of the destination.
In the end, Visit Orlando's sales mission aimed to showcase the diverse and unique product offerings that Orlando brings to Canadian travellers and travel agents alike.
To learn more about Orlando, travel agents are encouraged to take the Orlando Travel Academy to become a certified Orlando Travel Expert.
