Dramatic Surge In Tourism On Florida's Space Coast

SPACE COAST, Fla., Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida's Space Coast, the 72-mile stretch along the Atlantic coast that boasts Orlando's closest beach and an ever-widening array of family friendly vacation activities, has been attracting tourists in record numbers this year.  Thanks to a new wave of marketing efforts promoting the various destinations and special events within the Space Coast, hotel room occupancy up and down the region has far outpaced last year's performance.

According to the STR Report, which globally tracks the hotel industry, hotel occupancy and the average daily rate (ADR) posted year-over-year gains.  Tourism tax collections in 2016 are 13% ahead of last year and in September alone, collections were up 25%.  Occupancy for September was up 16.4% from the previous year.  Year to date, occupancy is up by 4.8%.  Corresponding to the increased demand, ADR has risen by 7.9% over the past year.

Eric Garvey, Executive Director of Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism, predicts collections for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 will exceed $12.8 million.  Garvey credits the recent tourism surge to marketing efforts through social media channels coupled with the enhancement of brand identity for each of the major cities within the Space Coast.

ABOUT FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST

Florida's Space Coast is a family friendly destination located 45 minutes east of Orlando.  Encompassing Cocoa Beach, Melbourne and the Beaches, Port Canaveral, Titusville, and Palm Bay, it is home to the world's second-busiest cruise port and 72 miles of beaches (the longest stretch in the state), as well as 190,000 acres of wetlands and waterways full of habitat found nowhere else.  Florida's Space Coast is home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where rockets still soar into orbit.  For more information, contact the Space Coast Office of Tourism at (877) 572-3224 or visit VisitSpaceCoast.com.

URL: http://www.visitspacecoast.com

Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism
430 Brevard Avenue
Suite 150
Cocoa, FL  32922
Phone 321-433-4470
Fax 321-433-4476
Toll-Free 1-877-57-BEACH

SOURCE Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism