Industry leaders celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week
Volusia County is joining with industry leaders to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week May 6-12, and there is a lot of excitement as tourism continues to grow. The county’s beaches and other outdoor amenities attract millions of visitors while the Daytona Beach International Airport and Ocean Center – are also big drivers to bring people here.
Volusia County’s Daytona Beach International Airport serves business and leisure travelers. Since 2009, passenger traffic at the airport has increased 70 percent. In 2017, the airport saw the most passengers – 720,825 passengers since 1997.
Volusia County’s Ocean Center hosted more than 280,000 people who attended one of the 123 events hosted at county’s convention center in 2017. Events included the National Cheerleaders Association and National Dance Association’s International Championship, which has been hosting its event at the convention center for more than 20 years. This year, the Ocean Center will host the popular CEO Gaming competition, which outgrew its location in Orlando and is expected to draw thousands to the area.
“The Ocean Center continues to draw planners who bring events and thousands of people to this area,” said Tim Riddle, Ocean Center Deputy Director. “In 2017, this facility experienced 377 usage days even though there are only 365 days in a year since sometimes events can overlap. We also draw the community to local consumer shows and social events hosted at the convention center.”
Celebrating the week, the Lodging and Hospitality Association of Volusia County is presenting an event Wednesday, May 9, at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach. The event will feature an expert panel representing the three tourism bureaus – Daytona Beach Area, Southeast Volusia and West Volusia – along with Daytona Beach International Airport, the Ocean Center and Mid-Florida Marketing and Research. The panelists will provide an overview of what is new and upcoming for tourism in Volusia County, and the positive economic impact tourism has on local businesses.
The doors open at 8 a.m. for check-in, networking and a breakfast buffet. The program is scheduled for 9 to 10:30 a.m. Guided tours of the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach will be available after the program. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are required by May 4 as seating is limited. To register, contact Eileen Gaines at 386-257-6828 or egaines@daytonahotelmotel.com.
