 |
Visit Florida has unveiled a $9M campaign to support tourism in the Sunshine State’s Panhandle region and the Gulf areas hit by red tide.
It has retained Omnicom’s Harrison & Shriftman and its affiliated sister shop Ketchum to provide general guidance and recommendations for crisis work, according to Sara Sowerby, communications manager at VF.
The campaign includes digital, social, broadcast and outreach to traditional travel media outlets in the US and overseas.
The bulk of the communications drive ($5.1M) is earmarked for Panhandle counties that sidestepped the full fury of Hurricane Michael.
Florida Governor Rick Scott said Oct. 23 the marketing push is geared to making sure the travel market remains strong ahead of the upcoming key winter season.
The goal is to maintain the perception of Florida as a warm, welcoming and diverse destination and remind visitors that the majority of the state remains open for business.
The effort tied to Florida’s naturally-occurring red tide will highlight inland activities and unaffected beach destinations.
Scott said employment in Florida’s travel sector has grown by 1.6M since December 2010.
He’s committed to stopping “at nothing to protect our businesses so they can continue to create jobs.
Weber Shandwick is providing PR and marketing communications services to the Moroccan National Tourist Office in New York.
Finn Partners has filed its six-month contract with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, which is worth $240K.
Weber Shandwick wrapped up its work for the Ministry of Bahamas at the end of 2023.
The Aruba Tourism Authority is boosting its budget 29.4 percent to $2.2M at Zeno Group, according to its 2024 contract, effective Jan. 1.
As inflation continues to impact spending, consumers are revisiting their list of what they’re willing to spend more of their money on. Luckily for those in the travel industry, experiences seem to be trending up on the “splurge” list. 
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.