News

WTM 2017: Kissimmee hails ‘strong’ repeat visitors, but says agents have a role

UK travel agents still have an important role to play in bringing British holidaymakers to the US city of Kissimmee – despite the “strong” number of repeat visitors.

Kissimmee, in Florida, has enjoyed a “strong year” in 2017 with numbers up “for the most part”, DT Minich, president and chief executive of Experience Kissimmee said, before confirming that the UK was once again the city’s number one long-haul market.

He believes that is mainly due to what he calls the “multi-generational” effect.

Minich said: “A lot of people go to Dubai once and they think they’ve done that. We have a strong repeat.

“Often we deal with three generations of visitors – the multi-generational family reunions often take place in Kissimmee. That is becoming a big segment for us.

“We have a very strong relationship with travel agents in the UK. There is a lot of security, piece of mind by booking through a travel agent.”

“Families these days are moving in all sorts of directions. Parents are not seeing their families as much. We are now working with the third generation of visitors. They just love the product.”

Minich claims that he and his team are seeing grandparents return to the Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee nearly 50 years after it first opened.

“Those grandparents bring their kids,” he added. “Then they bring their kids – the third generation.

“Holiday homes [in Kissimmee] have anywhere from five to 13 homes, so the multi-generational family travel is ideal for that.

“The British market has been strong. We have been really promoting the value side of things. You can have a really great vacation on a slightly tighter budget.”

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.