Spotlight On: Casandra Matej, President & CEO, Visit Orlando

Key points:

• • Visit Orlando is expanding global reach through new air routes, international campaigns, and diversified storytelling.
• • Marketing is shifting beyond theme parks to highlight connection, city experiences, and broader attractions.
• • Accessibility, sustainability, and international growth are key priorities shaping long-term tourism strategy.

April 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Casandra Matej, president & CEO of Visit Orlando, discussed how the destination is expanding its global reach, strengthening international connectivity, and sharpening Orlando’s story in addition to its theme park identity. “When you think about Orlando, it is where families come together across generations, and that shared connection is a natural strength of the destination,” Matej added.

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What key milestones defined Visit Orlando’s performance over the past year, particularly in terms of visitation, campaigns, and organizational strategy?

Every year we think we are reaching a new milestone, and 2025 was no different. We advanced a number of initiatives that reflect how Orlando continues to evolve in both perception and performance.

Our overall major brand campaign is Unbelievably Real, and in 2025 we moved into the next chapter of our creative platform, Moments in Between. Research is foundational to what Visit Orlando does, and our consumer research shows rising loneliness globally and a growing desire for meaningful, emotional connection. When you think about Orlando, it is where families come together across generations, and that shared connection is a natural strength of the destination.

We focused on authentic, unscripted moments, highlighting the kinds of experiences we know already exist when people are here. That approach allowed us to lean into user-generated storytelling and recognizable scenarios, from family humor to those unexpected moments when even teenagers admit they are having fun. We launched the campaign globally in September through a robust media mix including out-of-home, transit, retail, social, and print, and we are already seeing strong early results.

We also launched a City Break campaign in 2025 with a focus on Gen Z and younger travelers, with the goal of repositioning Orlando as a true urban getaway. We know that 41% of U.S. travelers want city breaks, but only 21% associate Orlando with that kind of experience. So we built a strategy designed to shift perception using platforms that match those audiences, including TikTok, social-first creative, and placements tied to streaming viewership. We also featured content alongside major shows to reach consumers where they are spending time and to reinforce that Orlando offers much more than a single, familiar narrative.

On the national storytelling side, we partnered with NBC’s Today Show and secured a third-hour segment that allowed us to spotlight  our  neighborhoods, ecotourism, sports offerings, and arts and culture. We also reached global audiences through Amazon Prime’s The Wanderer, which aired in multiple languages and markets and provided another unique platform to tell the Orlando story.

We were also very excited about expanded international air service, because accessibility is always a foundational factor in visitation and business activity. We announced the first-ever nonstop Orlando-to-Tokyo service on Zipair, making Orlando the first Florida destination with direct connectivity to Asia. Momentum continued in key international markets, with additional air service such as Iberia’s Madrid route, Munich and Frankfurt on Discover, Paris on Air France and increased frequency between Orlando and Dublin on Aer Lingus. Getting to Orlando has never been easier, and that supports both leisure visitation and the business ecosystem that follows.

With this growth and momentum, what areas of opportunity are top of mind for the tourism sector?

Workforce and labor remain important considerations, and Central Florida has a strong story to tell. Nearly 400,000 workers in Orange County are employed in travel and tourism, and the industry also supports substantial indirect employment in sectors such as legal, finance, and professional services. That scale matters because it reinforces tourism as an economic driver, not an isolated industry.

One area of opportunity and strategic focus is accessibility. Accessibility is a priority for Visit Orlando, and Orlando is recognized as one of the top disability-friendly cities in the United States. Our partners, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, and Legoland Florida, offer comprehensive accessibility guides and ADA-aligned services, and those offerings continue to expand to better support guests with cognitive, sensory, and physical disabilities. It is the right thing to do, and it is also a meaningful market, because we want families of all abilities to feel confident traveling and enjoying the destination together.

Accessibility is supported throughout the visitor journey. Orlando International Airport provides barrier-free access and participates in the Sunflower Lanyard Program for travelers with hidden disabilities. Regional transportation options, including passenger rail connections, are ADA compliant, and those systems continue to evolve as part of the broader regional mobility conversation.

Sustainability is another key focus and a competitive differentiator, particularly for international audiences. Sustainability is foundational to Orlando’s tourism strategy and long-term competitiveness. The city of Orlando and Orange County are both LEED Gold certified, and the Orange County Convention Center is one of North America’s largest LEED Gold-certified venues. Orange County also has more than 100 Florida Green Lodging designations across local properties, and those programs create opportunities for visitors to align travel decisions with environmental values. International travelers, in particular, are increasingly interested in understanding sustainable practices and ecotourism options that allow them to engage responsibly with a destination.

At the same time, our industry is shaped by external forces in ways that are immediate and sometimes unpredictable. Tourism is impacted by everything, from weather to economic uncertainty to the political climate. We monitor global indicators closely, including currency valuations in key markets, because shifts in the strength of other currencies relative to the dollar can influence travel decisions quickly. We also work with the U.S. Travel Association to support efforts that make travel into the U.S. efficient and welcoming, because the visitor experience begins well before someone arrives in Orlando.

What is your outlook for the Orlando leisure industry over the next five years, and what will define Visit Orlando’s next phase of growth?

The future is bright. We are seeing positive indicators across markets, including rebounds in areas that experienced declines. Canada is a good example. We saw a double-digit decline and we’re still finalizing 2025 numbers, but Canada has been our top international market in recent years, and we are already seeing signs of recovery through forward-looking indicators, such as flight and hotel pre-bookings. In the near term, meaning 2026, we expect continued recovery across many of our international markets.

Over the next three to five years, a key priority is ensuring international travel fully rebounds while also investing in emerging growth segments. Air service plays a major role in that. With new direct connectivity to Japan, we have the opportunity to expand more intentionally into Asia, and we are also focused on markets such as Australia and India. Those are long-term growth opportunities that require consistent investment in marketing and trade engagement, especially as we build awareness and advisor confidence over time.

Travel advisers, particularly in international markets, remain important. Many trips are complex, especially long-haul travel or itineraries that include multiple destinations. Visit Orlando maintains teams and representation in key markets so that advisors have up-to-date knowledge of what is new in the destination, what is coming, and what differentiates Orlando today beyond legacy perceptions. That work supports both leisure growth and visitor satisfaction.

On the business travel side, and especially meetings and conventions, our focus remains long-term competitiveness. Orlando is the No. 1 hotel market, with more than 133,000 hotel rooms across nearly 500 hotels at a wide range of price points. Investment in hospitality product continues, and the Orange County Convention Center expansion is a major milestone. We recently broke ground, and that investment reinforces our position as a global meetings destination with the infrastructure to support large-scale events.

Beyond hospitality and venues, community collaboration will shape the next phase. We have a 10-year-plus destination plan that includes priorities such as public transportation and a larger regional transit system that improves mobility across Central Florida. Those efforts are long-term, and they will influence how visitors and residents experience the region over the next five to 10 years and beyond.

Travel and tourism are also part of the economic development cycle. People often visit first for leisure, and that trip can turn into an investment decision, a business relationship, or a relocation conversation. Tourism introduces people to a place, and that exposure can create downstream economic activity well beyond the visitor stay. That is why we see our work as connected to broader growth, business development, and regional competitiveness.

We take the responsibility seriously. We are the No. 1 visited destination in the United States, but every January we start at zero. Sustaining leadership requires visitors, intentional strategy, and continued investment, and we are focused on ensuring Orlando remains globally competitive, accessible, and welcoming as the destination continues to evolve.

Want more? Read the Invest: Greater Orlando report.