The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is looking to the comeback of travel with a new recovery campaign, “Miami Shines.”
During the GMCVB’s annual Tourism Industry Forum, held virtually this year, the tourism bureau’s COO, Rolando Aedo, said, “This recovery campaign, to a large extent, will be triggered when hotels open.” The campaign, he went on to say, will be the vehicle to “drive as much hotel demand in as little a time as possible.”
The strategy for the campaign is to target—in this order—local, regional and U.S. markets. First month—once hotels reopen—will be to target local Miami visitors and drive markets, including Florida and Georgia, then expanding nationally as appropriate. The campaign will put an emphasis on beach/outdoor/nature, arts and culture, and neighborhoods. There will also be an emphasis on Miami’s cosmopolitan experience as a differentiator from other Florida cities.
Travelers will need to be confident, Aedo continued, that the destination will be able to “mitigate the possible spread of any contagion,” and that all touch points—Miami International Airport; hotels; attractions/museums; transportation; and restaurants/retail—have implemented safety protocols. He added that travelers are also going to be looking for deals, so part of the campaign is focusing on launching special offers simultaneously from hotels; restaurants (Miami Spice); spas (Miami Spa Month); attractions and museums.
Scott Berman with PwC, noted during the forum that “you can roll all of the recent crises into one—from Sept. 11 to the Great Recession—and it doesn’t add up to the impact that COVID-19 has had. It’s cataclysmic.” He went on to say that, “You can’t just switch the flip…it’s going to be a bit uneven. It’s going to be phased and a process following certain protocols.”
That said, Aedo did note that Miami “is one of the most resilient destinations in the world, and we are one of the most resilient industries.”
For more information, click gmcvb.com/miamishines. For more future booking opportunities, visit #AmazingDaysAhead.
