Selling Travel September 19

42
south florida
international gateway, but flight
connections from major U.S. cities to
Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Sarasota–
Bradenton, Key West and Southwest
Florida International in Fort Myers – which
will see a $175 million expansion project
completed by 2023 – make for a perfect
dual-destination trip.
Families should also consider combining
a week at Orlando’s many amusement
parks (Universal, Disney and Legoland are
all here) with another exploring the South’s
exciting cities and natural wonders.
“South Florida has so much to offer and
discover,” says Gill Standeven, Visit Florida’s
UK Account Director. “We’re working
with tour operators on co-op marketing
programmes to promote multi-centre trips,
encouraging visitors to travel further.”
The glitzy centres of Miami, Fort
Lauderdale, Boca Ratan and West
Palm Beach on the Atlantic coast, and
cosmopolitan Sarasota and Naples on
the Gulf of Mexico, boast luxury hotels,
restaurants and boutiques, but offer fun
for families, too. The safe, sandy beaches
Lake Okeechobee
of Gulf islands like Anna Maria and Sanibel
are perfect for children, while spa resorts
and golf courses across the region keep
luxury-seeking travellers entertained.
For the intrepid, the Everglades National
Park has exciting swamp and kayaking
tours; Key Largo’s John Pennekamp Coral
Reef State Park and Dry Tortugas National
Park off Key West offer excellent diving and
snorkelling; Palm Beach is a surf hotspot,
and Fort Myers a watersports mecca.
New for families
Curio Collection by Hilton property, Baker’s
Cay Resort in Key Largo (curiocollection3.
hilton.com), offers family-friendly activities,
including marine science camps, and Eden
Roc Miami Beach (edenrochotelmiami.
com) has introduced an all-new BECO Kids
Club, offering fun marine workshops, pizza
making classes, kid’s yoga, mindfulness
sessions and more.
On Anna Maria Island, Anna Maia Beach
Resort (annamariaislandbeachresort.com)
has opened, with a large pool and all rooms
offering kitchen facilities.
A new Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
resort (margaritaville.com) will open in
2021 at Fort Myers Beach, with 254 rooms
and a water park.
Key West’s newest attraction, the Sails
to Rails Museum (historictours.com), leads
visitors on an interactive journey through
500 years of fascinating Key West history.
Meanwhile, four new, daily trolley tours of
Bahia Honda State Park (floridastateparks.
org/BahiaHonda) in the Lower Keys will
help nature loving visitors understand the
region’s unique ecosystem and history.
watersports are big down south
Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences
Book it: USAirtours (usairtours.co.uk/agent-zone)
offers seven nights room-only in the Florida Keys
for a family of four from £1,245pp, including flights
with Norwegian from London to Miami, car rental,
and accommodation in Key Largo and Key West.
New for luxury seekers
Luxury boutique property, Lennox Hotel
Miami Beach (lennoxmiamibeach.com),
opened in the city’s historic district in
August this year, with 119 rooms and its
own private beach.
HIGH STYLE FOR LESS
C O M P A N Y S T O R E
Show your European passport at the Informaton Kiosk or the Mall Office to receive a free VIP savings brochure.
® GIFT CARDS MAKE THE
MIROMAR OUTLETS
Perfect Gift
MIROMAR OUTLETS
Up To 70% Off Retail Prices MiromarOutlets.com • I-75, Exit 123 • (239) 948-3766 •
Over 140 Top Designer and Brand Name Outlet Stores and Restaurants
Copyright © 2019, Miromar Development Corporation. Miromar Outlets is a registered service mark of Miromar Development Corporation. 0919-1828