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Governor hopes Floridians start taking 'staycations' in the Sunshine State

By Valerie Boey
Updated  September 3, 2020 5:30am EDT
FOX 35 Orlando

State unveils new tourism promotion campaign

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge chunk out of tourism revenue for the state. Now, a new promotional campaign will encourage Floridians to take a staycation.

DAYTONA - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday joined the CEO of Visit Florida to unveil a new campaign at the Daytona Hotel.  The event was intended to motivate residents to take staycations and use some of that pent up energy.

The promotional campaign appeals to Floridians, calling on residents to enjoy the beaches and wild nature.

Visit Florida is spending $13 million on the campaign. In turn, the state hopes it will create more business and get more hospitality workers employed, as 1.2 million jobs were lost since the pandemic.  Visit Florida will be using broadcasters, billboards, and social media to get out the message.

The governor said he realizes there is controversy surrounding Visit Florida but said this is needed after tourism was decimated during the pandemic.  He also added that theme parks can increase capacity if they want to and will not hold them back.

“We’ve had a big decline [in tourism], so I think it will be a valuable tool to help show folks that Florida’s back and that we welcome folks,” he said,

Dana Young, CEO of Visit Florida added, “Travelers know our beaches and know our theme parks so why do we have to advertise? I’ll tell you why, because advertising works. “

 Visit Florida also plans to focus on domestic travel in the future. The governor said he is looking at getting rid of limited capacity requirements for restaurants because he believes people know how to social distance now on their own.