Visit Florida and partners celebrate exclusive lounge at Toronto’s Winter Village
Visit Florida and four partners brought the Sunshine State warmth to a travel trade event alongside their lounge in Toronto’s Distillery Winter Village on Dec. 17.
The lounge, located on the patio of the restaurant Archeo, is a collaboration between Visit Florida, Visit Pensacola, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, Visit Orlando and the Greater Miami CVB. Each destination inspired its own menu item, which are served in beach huts surrounded by palm trees and fireside seating.
Gabriel Martinez, director of global travel trade at Visit Florida, said the activation serves “to continue to bring the warmth and sunshine to Canadians and immerse them in Florida’s ambience through a multi-sensory experience, and inspire them all to plan trips to Florida next year.” 
Florida welcomed more than 3.2 million Canadian visitors in 2023, and nearly 2.5 million in the first three quarters of 2024.
“We offer a range of experiences for everyone—families, couples and friends—to go beyond the beaches and theme parks,” said Martinez.
Beaches and beyond
Nicole Stacey, vice-president of destination development at Visit Pensacola, was on site to share the deep historical roots of Pensacola, known as the “western gate to the Sunshine State”.
Pensacola was the United States’ first settlement, established in 1559, and today is a family and multi-gen-friendly destination with year-round festivals and events.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, represented at the event by director of public relations Jason Latimer, is home to America’s favourite beaches, having been ranked among the top 15 white sand beaches in the world. Canadians, representing half of the region’s international visitors, flock to St. Petersburg and Clearwater not only to catch the Blue Jays’ spring training, but also for attractions like the Dalí Museum, which houses the largest collection of Salvador Dalí’s work outside of Spain.
The cities’ many other museums offer unique hands-on art experiences like glassblowing and pottery. Latimer said the “wonderful communities” of St. Pete’s and Clearwater offer “so much exploring you can do beyond your day at the beach.”
Culinary and luxury hotspots
“If you want to do everything in Orlando in one trip, it would take you over 120 days,” said Laura Kreutzer, travel industry sales director for North America at Visit Orlando.
Beyond being the theme park capital of the world, Orlando offers 490 hotels and resorts and an array of outdoor activities like kayaking that make it easy to extend your stay. And visitors won’t go hungry, with a thriving culinary scene that now features seven Michelin-starred restaurants.
Miami is also a world-class culinary destination lauded for its multicultural influences, with 14 Michelin-starred restaurants plus 18 Bib Gourmand restaurants.
Joanne Scalamogna, the in-market representative for the Greater Miami CVB, shared that the long-time favourite destination for Canadians is continuing to grow with two brand new marketing campaigns: Find your Miami and Find your wave. The campaigns are targeted to consumers and meeting planners to showcase the local arts and culture scene, outdoor adventure (including beaches) and the many opportunities for luxury travel.
Florida is now more accessible than ever, with direct service including Air Canada’s reintroduced Vancouver-Miami route and Porter’s flights from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach.
