Visit Florida launched a promo campaign with the initial cost of around $2.7 million to tell potential tourists about the parts of the state not affected by Hurricane Ian.
The campaign is deployed on digital platforms and social media until late October and includes fresh footage of 14 parts of the state (Miami, St. Augustine, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Tampa, Florida Keys, Amelia Island, Destin, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Palm Beach). The slogan is “Sun’s Shining in Florida”.
Greg Cook, Chairman of Visit Florida and General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, said that the new marketing plan is designed to emphasize the state’s invariable openness to business and readiness to help companies in Southwest Florida as soon as they are ready to welcome visitors again.
Such marketing programs are aimed at protecting Florida’s tourism brand and demonstrating to visitors that this state offers endless recreational opportunities, says Dana Young, President and CEO at Visit Florida.
The agency acted in a similar manner in the past to counterbalance the negative press coverage after previous hurricanes and other problems, such as the Zika virus and algae bloom. Visit Florida is also developing recovery plans for regions damaged by the storm when they are ready to host tourists again.