New Visit Florida CEO introduced at Huddle
Visit Florida chairman Wiliam Talbert, pictured left, used the state’s premier trade show, Huddle, to introduce its new CEO Ken Lawson, centre, to the state’s tourism industry, writes TravelMole MD Graham McKenzie.
In an exclusive interview, Lawson emphasised the need for transparency from Visit Florida; remember, it was the lack of such transparency that cost previous CEO Will Seccombe his job.
Lawson continued that he was going to utilise and rely heavily on the excellent staff that existed within the Visit Florida board, which, for a man with little or no marketing or tourism experience comes as little surprise, but his pedigree for tough negotiating and eloquent recourse is well known throughout the state.
Overall he feels the board needs to offer good value for money for all its partners, including the taxpayer, and as such needs to be economically viable within the constraints of the budgets he’s been given.
Support from the Governor was assured and was reiterated by Talbert, who is also president and CEO of Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Depsite concerns about the way Visit Florida managed it budget last year, it turned in some impressive figures. 2016 third-quarter visitor figures ran out at some 85 million which was 5.6 % up on 2015. Of these, 13.2 % were international visitors.
Direct flights will rise to 642,241 in 2017 and 1,468 of these will come from international destinations.
The Middle East is recognised as one of the most promising overseas markets, and with the Emirates flight direct to Orlando being upgraded from a Boeing 777 to an A380, pus an additional direct flight to Fort Lauderdale starting later this year, the optimism seems well placed.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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