PETER CRANIS: Memorial Day Weekend is Kickoff to Summer Travel Season, $2.6 Million Marketing Campaign Underway
By Peter Cranis, Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director // May 27, 2023
campaign features digital and social media ads with trackable booking data
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – As we go into the Memorial Day Weekend and kickoff the Summer travel season, AAA is estimating over 42 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from their home – this is up over the prior year from 40 million.
While we have continued to hear about possible economic slowdowns, people do not seem to be slowing their desire to travel.
Recently we took a look at our Spring Break business, and the month of March resulted in the highest Tourist Development Tax collection for a month in history at $3.1 million.
Since TDT is 5% of lodging, and that is 45% of visitor spending, this represents visitor spending of nearly $138 million just for that one month.
This is in an environment where gas prices and inflation have continued to be high. In fact, recent research by Longwood’s shows that 91% of travelers still have travel plans for the next six months. And only 21% of travelers say gas prices would greatly impact their decision to travel.
From a marketing perspective, we are spending an all-time high of $2.6 million promoting summer.
The campaign launched May 1 and is running in Florida (Miami, Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville), Southern (Charlotte, Raleigh, and Atlanta), and Northern (NY, Boston, Philly, DC, and Chicago) markets.
The campaign features digital and social media ads with trackable booking data, streaming and cable TV, streaming radio through iHeart and Pandora, and billboards in a few key markets supporting the new Avelo flights.
Internationally, we are also partnering again with TUI to target their UK customers to try to get them to spend more time on the Space Coast as they take advantage of direct service into Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB), as well as some co-op advertising with Brand USA.
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– Peter Cranis, Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director
