Visit Florida enjoying continued growth in Canadian arrivals

Visit Florida and eight of its partners were in Toronto this week to get together with some of its partners at Sassafraz in the city’s Yorkville neighbourhood.

The casual, relaxed event, was full of good news as Lea-Ann Goltz, VoX International’s Canada account manager for Visit Florida, reminded the group that Canada has, historically, been the number one international market for the state of Florida.

In 2023, 3.82 million Canadians headed to the Sunshine State, representing a 45.5 per cent increase over 2022 and just seven per cent down from the totals of 2019. On another positive note, Goltz reported that airlift to the state from Canada is up significantly.

Along with Goltz, the group also included Visit Florida’s global marketing and trade account executive, Kelli Godwin.

Destination partners included: Karen DiGiacomo, tour and travel sales manager for Daytona Beach CVB; Denise Graham, account director, Experience Kissimmee; Juanita Ariza Gomez, tourism representative for Canada for Visit Central Florida; Stefanie Zinke, director of global sales, Visit Tampa Bay. And hotel partners on hand to meet the Toronto travel trade, included: Janniel Negron, sales manager, Mint House St. Petersburg; Josue Kant-Szbowski, business travel & leisure sales director, Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach; Mohammed Daod, senior leisure sales executive, The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, St. Petersburg; and Jennifer Julian, sales manager, Universal Orlando Resort.

IN THE PHOTOS

TOP

Visit Florida and partners was all smiles as they welcomed travel trade types at Sassafraz in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood this week.

MIDDLE

Seen here, from l to r, are Visit Florida’s’s Kelli Godwin; Air Canada’s Viktor Spysak; and VoX International’s Lea-Ann Goltz, Canada Account Manager for Visit Florida.