‘Just give Miami one extra night’

‘Just give Miami one extra night’ Whether it’s a client’s visit to the theme parks of Orlando or a cruise sailing, Miami can work well with just one extra night, says Joe Docal, Director, Travel Industry Sales, GMCVB.

Hazel Jain

India is the only international market to have crossed 2019 arrival numbers to the USA in 2023, shares Joe Docal, Director, Travel Industry Sales, Greater Miami Convention Visitor Bureau (GMCVB), quoting a report from the US Commerce Department. He was in Mumbai recently after a gap of one year to meet the travel agents and inform them about what the destination offers. “This is quite impressive, especially given the challenges with visas. But we know it has improved in terms of wait times. From our conversation with the US Consulates, they were using other offices that were not as busy to help with the backlog. So, India is doing quite
well,” he says.

The plan next year is to return to Mumbai but also visit secondary cities such as Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Chennai to meet the agents there, as he believes in the potential non-metro markets offer. Greater Miami Convention Visitor Bureau is represented in India through Aviareps.

He says, “Your visit appreciated a lot more in these cities – and they see your commitment not only to their market but also to them. India for us comes under emerging markets. So, this year I have expanded my visit to India to include sales calls as well.”

He is looking to tap FITs and M!CE, particularly the luxury traveller. “We also have big-ticket events such as the Formula One Grand Prix that bring in that calibre of visitors to Miami. Moreover, with the new Brightline train, visitors can travel from Orlando to Miami. It basically connects Central Florida to South Florida. We want the trade to know that Miami is not just beach and nightlife, but we have culture, a tremendous culinary scene, and we are the cruise capital of the world. Just give us one extra night in your Florida itineraries – whether it is after or before Orlando, or pre or post cruise. We are the only destination in the USA that is bordered by two national parks,” Docal requests. Miami, a coastal metropolis in the US state of Florida, is known as the cruise capital of the world.