Canadians Invited To Call Kissimmee Home

The Central Florida city of Kissimmee can easily make visitors feel at home.

Danielle Dunn, sales manager North America for Experience Kissimmee, told a Toronto gathering Tuesday that her destination offers plenty of opportunities for visitors to stay in a home – rather than a hotel – with Kissimmee being the “vacation home capital of the world.”

Choices include town homes and apartment-style homes, she said.
One option is a particularly large home that features the likes of a basketball court and Turkish bath, while another has a boardroom and others can be used to host weddings.

But Dunn added that Kissimmee has plenty of hotel options, and next year will see the opening of MargaritaVillage, with that US$750-million project to include a 175-room Margaritaville-branded hotel, along with 500 vacation homes, 300 timeshare units and some 500 condos. The resort will also feature three acres of swimmable freshwater lagoons and water-based activities will include paddle-boarding, snorkeling and children’s play areas.

Dunn acknowledged that our low dollar is an impediment to Canadians wanting to visit the United States, but added that Kissimmee believes that “we’re very well positioned to meet that challenge.”

Dunn later told PressToday that Kissimmee – very close to Orlando –benefits from its location, with visitors able to reach coastal Florida within an hour and Orlando’s famed theme parks minutes away.

Dunn added that those vacationing in Kissimmee can opt for plenty of nature-based activities, such as canoeing, kayaking, ziplines, balloon rides and airboat excursions. Those going canoeing or kayaking will be exploring the water bodies that are the source of Florida’s famed Everglades, she added.

Pictured are Andrew Ricketts of VoX International, which represents Kissimmee in Canada, Nori Rodriguez of Experience Kissimmee, and Erin Oddliefson of Transat.