Florida’s tourism agency, Visit Florida, has been working to help boost tourism along the state’s east coast after Hurricane Dorian impacted business on the typically profitable Labor Day weekend.
On Sept. 20, Visit Florida is launching a social media campaign with the goal of attracting more people to the state.
The new effort encourages tourists and residents to use #LoveFL on any videos, pictures or Facebook live posts on social media.
Visit Florida also will share travel deals on a Florida-specific landing page on Expedia.
Before the campaign launches, Visit Florida officials have already traveled the state to showcase the picturesque shoreline from Martin County all the way to the Jacksonville area.
In multiple live videos, Visit Florida had thousands of views on Facebook and Twitter.
One of the stops for Visit Florida was Martin County.
“It opens it up to their entire audience which is huge compared to some of the smaller destinations like Martin County,” explained Martin County Tourism Director, Nerissa Okiye.
Okiye says she is still waiting to see the exact numbers for the loss to businesses in the area because of the Hurricane on Labor Day weekend, which she expects to receive by mid-October.
In the meantime, Okiye has been working on local campaigns to encourage tourism in Martin County but says the state effort was great news.
“Hopefully this will help to offset any impacts,” Okiye said.
Visit Florida featured the shoreline near the Marriott Hutchinson Island Beach Resort and Marina.
For the hotel’s Director of Sales, Candice Miller, welcoming Visit Florida was an exciting opportunity to showcase the area and the hotel by being featured in one of Visit Florida’s Facebook videos.
“It was live, so we were seeing the waves crashing on just a really great evening,” Miller said.
Hurricane Dorian took a big hit on the hotel's Labor Day bookings.
“Prior to the storm we were completely sold out. Then we lost all reservations. Mostly cancellations,” Miller said.
Miller is eager to see how the Visit Florida #LoveFL campaign might help make up some of their Hurricane Dorian losses.
“Cannot hurt, it only helps,” Miller said.