Florida CVBs, hotels, resorts, attractions and theme parks as well as international and domestic tour operators, wholesalers and media headed to Ocala, Florida, last week for VISIT FLORIDA’s annual Florida Huddle and Florida Encounter trade shows. Both events, held side-by-side at the World Equestrian Center’s exposition centers—it’s the largest equestrian center in the U.S.—were a buzz of activity, packed with one-on-one-appointments, educational sessions and networking.
We made our way around the conference floor and will include a What’s New and Hot in Florida article in Recommend’s March 2025 issue from all the intel we gathered; plus, we had a chance to catch up with Dana Young before she retired as President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA (her last day at the organization was on Friday, Feb. 7). We also got an update on tourism numbers, with 34.6 million visitors traveling to Florida in Q3 2024 (of those, 31.8 million were domestic), marking a 1.8 percent increase from Q3 2023 and the highest visitation for any third quarter. Canadian visitors accounted for 582,000 in Q3 2024, representing a 2.5 percent increase from the previous year. In terms of overseas visitation numbers (this does not include Canada), 8.86 million travelers visited Florida in 2024. In fact, Florida continues to outpace the rest of the country in terms of overseas recovery. The top five countries for visitation to Florida are Canada, UK, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, with The Bahamas coming in at number 10, interestingly enough. And when visitors come to Florida, the destinations of most interest are, not surprisingly, Miami; the Orlando area; Fort Lauderdale; Tampa Bay area; and the Florida Keys.
Those significant tourism numbers are due, in no small part, to travel advisors, with Young noting that VISIT FLORIDA is doing more with “travel advisors now than we ever have. We train travel advisors all over the country, and that, to me, is one of the most important things.” She foresees the VISIT FLORIDA team, led by a new president and CEO, continuing its work with travel advisors, including offering FAMs.
Domestic visitors come from around the U.S., with those on the East Coast gravitating towards East Coast cities in Florida, and those in the Midwest heading to Florida’s Gulf Coast, says Young. She stresses that it’s important for VISIT FLORIDA to continue its mission of introducing Florida’s smaller destinations to travel advisors. “It helps our smaller counties increase their tourism numbers,” she says, “and it also helps disperse people out of the primary tourism areas. It’s a big state, so we don’t have to have everybody clumped in Orlando, right?
“Elevating some of the more rural, lesser-known areas of the state, helps them to come into their own with a tourism product and lets people see parts of Florida that they might not otherwise know.”
Ocala is one of those lesser-known areas and as such, the reason it was chosen as this year’s destination for this annual tradeshow. Young says, Ocala has “so much to offer. There are five first magnitude springs in this area. The horse culture here has always been a big deal, but it’s been hard to access. But now, with the World Equestrian Center [WEC], it’s an opportunity for people to come here, have a base [WEC is home to two beautiful hotels] to then get out and explore the beautiful, natural environment around this area of the state.” (We’ll have a first-hand review of Ocala, including the World Equestrian Center’s The Equestrian Hotel, in Recommend’s March issue.)
During Florida Huddle/Encounter, it was announced that the MICHELIN Guide will be expanding its selection in the Sunshine State with three new destinations being added in 2025. In addition to Miami, Orlando and Tampa, the 2025 selection will include restaurants in Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater. Beginning in 2026, the selection will grow further to become a state-wide selection covering all of Florida.
“Florida continues to raise the bar with its emerging culinary talent, international influences and the palpable passion of its local restaurant communities,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, in a press release statement. “Over the past three years, we’ve seen the Florida selection grow and strengthen as our Inspectors shined a spotlight on their discoveries. We look forward to exploring these new destinations and highlighting the excellence of their local restaurant scene.”
And next year’s Florida Huddle and Encounter will take place Feb. 2-4, 2026, at Hilton Orlando in Orlando. VISIT FLORIDA Chief Marketing Officer Brett Laiken said in a press release statement, “Florida Huddle and Encounter provide invaluable opportunities to unlock business potential for the Sunshine State’s destinations, hotels, resorts and attractions. Next year, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the diverse offerings of the Orlando area to key travel professionals from around the globe.”
Visit Orlando President and CEO Casandra Matej, added, “As the No. 1 travel and meetings destination in the U.S., Orlando is excited to host Florida Huddle and Encounter once again in 2026. This trade show brings together top travel professionals and Florida destinations, creating valuable connections that drive business and boost the economy. Held next year at the centrally located Hilton Orlando on International Drive, attendees will be just steps away from award-winning dining, legendary entertainment and a variety of attractions, including our world-famous theme parks and the new Universal Epic Universe.”
