Geographic
• Northern markets (Chicago, NY, Boston, Philadelphia, DC), Canada
• Florida in-state markets of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa St. Petersburg and Sarasota show strongest growth potential.
• Opportunity Markets may include South American, France and Asian markets like China, India (for Everglades/National Parks)
• European markets for primarily the summer months include UK, German, France and Scandinavia. Growth is in France and Scandinavia.
• Italy has potential, but high air fares are a negative
• World turmoil is driving traffic our way. Educate that we are safe.
• Brazil and Latin American market really growing. They aren’t just group tour clients anymore. They are families and couples.
• Catch internationals that travel through Keys, across state, encourage extra nights. Market to them in Florida to stay one more night.
• Ethnic travel is increasing, but hard to target.
• Regional residents for "Stay-cations “in town” vacations and long weekends
• Promote the new Artificial Reef Project to leisure travelers and consider packaging with charter fishing captains and Scuba Diving providers.
Demographics
• Primary target is Baby Boomers 50+ geared toward women • Secondary is Millennials 17 – 33 years old.
• Families and couples, both older and millennial. • Active Lifestyles, more adventure driven.
• Affluent, upper income adults that travel.
Market Segments
• Consumers by attending trade shows • Travel & Adventure market.
• Domestic and International Tour Operators/Wholesalers. • Luxury Travel Agents.
Activity Targets
• Adventure travel • Edu-tourism
• "Bleisure" travel – come for business, stay for vacation, bring the family. • Beaches • Everglades • Relaxing • Nature • Family • Shopping
• Dinning – Culinary one of a kind. • Nightlife – millennial demographic • Biking and outdoor activities
• Sports related events – like paddleboard event
Objectives
• Continue to showcase the area to travel agents and tour operators by adding two new FAM’s
• Grow the Brazilian market in 2015 by 10%.
• Promote the “Travel Effect” to encourage using more vacation time.
• Enhance the website leisure pages with more content by end of March 2015.
• Focus on travel agent sales through various avenues and grow our database by 15%. • Increase content and media coverage of our destination by end of second quarter 2015. • Improve and enhance use of iDSS database for updates
• Enhance the website Weddings & Honeymoon pages by end of first quarter 2015.
• Build out a Golf section of the website to assist people in building golf vacations by end of first quarter 2015.
Strategies
1. We will continue to showcase our destination through shows, advertising and PR to above market segments by promoting our uniqueness, art culture, culinary; wide, white sand beaches, the world famous Everglades and our top rated resorts as reasons why this destination is a preferred choice over other destination in Florida and the US. We are also charming, clean and a safe destination.
2. We have now have representation in Brazil through AVIAREPS that will promote brand awareness through trainings, trade events, shows. I will assist them with FAM trips, sales missions and shows. See also their marketing plan attached.
3. The Travel Effect is the U.S. Travel Association’s research-driven initiative to prove the personal, business, social and economic benefits that taking earned time off can deliver. We aim to shift culture so that using personal time off is not considered frivolous, but essential to strengthening families and improving personal health; a business investment with proven returns and an economic necessity. The average American leaves 3.2 unused PTO days per day.
4. We will spread the word and entice the target markets of NY, Boston, DC and Philly to take a short 2 hour flight to the Paradise Coast by using the Travel Playbook.
5. Get with the properties to create 3 day/2 night packages exclusively for the Travel Effect traveler. Can tie in with Adventure travel, Edu-tourism and Bleisure travel. Example: Come to Naples Marco Island Everglades and learn to fish, sail, golf, boat, learn about shells, birds, Everglades, paddle board, kayak. This is a big trend, and hotels need to create packages and CVB/hotels to market this lasting trend – great for families and couples of all age groups.
6. The partners would like to see Sales Missions to receptive operators and luxury travel agents in the Fall. We will form committees and target secondary markets of Ohio, Milwaukee, NY (Westchester County) and Toronto. We will ask for lists from the hotel partners to include in the database for these missions.
7. The CVB will create a monthly or quarterly in-market tourism partner newsletter. We will use this as a tool to communicate package needs, upcoming contests, co-op opportunities, social media, trade shows they can attend with CVB, latest events and partner updates. 8. Weddings & Honeymoon Market-
a. a strong destination target and CVB will continue a minimal program to supplement the hotel market for this with twice annual weddings newsletters, some target media buys and website support but we feel this is an important property specific market. b. Destination weddings, family travel, India weddings, multi-day event weddings. c. Listings with wedding resources/publications.
d. Wedding specific website built off of main property webpage. e. Weddings are big for food & beverage – 70% of revenue.
f. Feature Florida’s Paradise Coast on HGTV or popular wedding TV Show, destination giveaways/sweepstakes.
g. Work with area country clubs, so using their sites for ceremonies and hotels for rooms.
h. Weddings are a huge potential for us that targets our demographic to our mid and upper range hotels.
New Concepts & Copy Point Suggestions:
• Easy to get around and park.• Relaxing • Upscale
• Great fishing, nature, eco
• Area parks cater to the active aging population as well as the millennial. • Dining – one of a kind, locally owned- Farm to Table concept.
o Chef’s tables, fine dining experiences, farm-to-table/sea-to-table; promotions and coverage of dining events/festivals/food shows.
• Emphasize shopping – outlets, high end malls.
• The world famous Everglades and Everglades National Park • The new Artificial Reef system
• The diversity of staying in world-class resort and then within a short time you are in this World Heritage site, real wilderness.
• Educate our hotels are aware of the Everglades National Park Gulf Coast visitor Center. • Arts and culture offerings- showcase the wide variety of events, performance types,
museums, galleries.
• Unique offerings for children and families to do- C’mon, Zoo, Conservancy, Rookery Bay, resort kid’s programs.
• Collier County has 30 miles of wide, white sand beaches plus the Everglades – a combination found nowhere else in the world.
• Push “Travel Effect” concept to encourage Northeast feeder markets of NY, BOSTON, DC, Philadelphia with direct easy access to RSW to take their vacation time.