VISIT FLORIDA
Encyclopedia
VISIT FLORIDA is the DBA name
for the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation (FTIMC), the business arm of the Florida Commission on Tourism.
The Commission is a private/public marketing
partnership, designed to increase Florida
's tourism industry, and was established on June 19, 1996 when Governor Lawton Chiles
signed a bill that dissolved the Florida Department of Commerce and turned its tourism functions over to the Commission.
The Commission consists of the Governor, one member each from the Florida Senate
and the Florida House of Representatives
and representatives from the various sectors of the state's tourism industry.
VISIT FLORIDA operates the state’s five Official Florida Welcome Centers
at I-10
(Pensacola
), US 231 (Campbellton
), Capitol
(Tallahassee), I-75 (Jennings
) and I-95
(Yulee
).
VISIT FLORIDA teamed up with Southwest Airlines
for a fall 2008 marketing campaign
. The agency and airline each contributed $1 million dollars towards the media ad
campaign, which focused on visiting Florida by air travel at low rates offered by Southwest.
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
for the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation (FTIMC), the business arm of the Florida Commission on Tourism.
The Commission is a private/public marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
partnership, designed to increase Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's tourism industry, and was established on June 19, 1996 when Governor Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...
signed a bill that dissolved the Florida Department of Commerce and turned its tourism functions over to the Commission.
The Commission consists of the Governor, one member each from the Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
and the Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
and representatives from the various sectors of the state's tourism industry.
Operations
VISIT FLORIDA is mandated by the State to match public funding, dollar-for-dollar, with private funds. These private funds come from several sources, including direct investment by its industry Partners, Strategic Alliance Partners, cooperative advertising ventures, promotional media equivalency and merchandising of VISIT FLORIDA branded products. Currently, each public dollar is matched by about $2.50 in private contributions.VISIT FLORIDA operates the state’s five Official Florida Welcome Centers
Florida Welcome Centers
A Florida Welcome Center is a "tourist information house", generally located at the Florida state line. These centers provide incoming visitors with a variety of information on travel, highways, sports, climate, accommodations, cities, outdoor recreation, and attractions. Every visitor is treated...
at I-10
Interstate 10 in Florida
The of Interstate 10 in Florida is the eastern most section of the east–west Interstate 10 in the Southern United States. It is also the eastern end of the Interstate Highway known as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, one of three coast to coast interstates, along with I-80...
(Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
), US 231 (Campbellton
Campbellton, Florida
Campbellton is a town in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 212 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Campbellton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of...
), Capitol
Florida State Capitol
The Florida State Capitol, in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, is the state capitol of the U.S. state of Florida. The building is an architecturally and historically significant building, having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
(Tallahassee), I-75 (Jennings
Jennings, Florida
Jennings is a town in Hamilton County, Florida, United States. The population was 833 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
) and I-95
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
(Yulee
Yulee, Florida
Yulee is a census-designated place in Nassau County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,392 at the 2000 census. The city was named for David Levy Yulee, Senator from Florida.-Geography:Yulee is located at ....
).
VISIT FLORIDA teamed up with Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
for a fall 2008 marketing campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
. The agency and airline each contributed $1 million dollars towards the media ad
Advertising media selection
Advertising media selection is the process of choosing the most cost-effective media for advertising, to achieve the required coverage and number of exposures in a target audience.-Frequency:...
campaign, which focused on visiting Florida by air travel at low rates offered by Southwest.