TORONTO — The Palm Beaches is home to 39 cities – from Boca Raton in the south, to Jupiter in the north – and including Palm Beach and West Palm Beach.
What does that mean for clients? With so many options, there’s almost certainly a vacation spot in The Palm Beaches that’s perfect for their Florida getaway goals.
The shops on Worth Avenue in The Palm Beaches (photo courtesy Discover The Palm Beaches)
The destination has good air accessibility too. Air Canada has seasonal flights from Toronto and Montreal to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI). Travellers can also fly into FLL, just a 30 minute drive away.
The Palm Beaches also isn’t far from Miami and Orlando. “But it’s a very different feel, a different vibe,” says Erick Garnica, Associate Vice President Global Leisure Sales, The Palm Beaches.
Garnica was in Toronto and Montreal recently for industry events, partner meetings and media interviews, in partnership with VoX International, which represents Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County in Southeast Florida.
As Garnica notes, resort tourism in the U.S. got its start in The Palm Beaches in 1896, when American industrialist Henry Flagler opened what was originally known as the Palm Beach Inn. Soon it was called The Breakers, and thanks to that first luxury property – and Flagler’s vision to build a beautiful hotel on his Florida railway line – The Palm Beaches attracted more and more visitors, and earned the title of ‘America’s First Resort Destination.’
In addition to The Breakers, The Palm Beaches is now home to more than 175 hotels and resorts, many with chain brands “but also a lot of independent hotels,” says Garnica.
Along The Palm Beaches’ 75 kilometres of sun-kissed coastline, there’s been a total combined investment of more than US$500 million across a dozen hotels over the past few months alone. Within the next two years, an anticipated $1 billion collective investment for 16 new properties in the pipeline is expected to add nearly 2,200 more rooms.
Standard king accommodation at PGA National Resort & Spa (photo courtesy PGA National Resort & Spa)
Hotels making waves with renovations and other projects including Tideline Palm Beach Ocean Resort and Spa, the Renaissance Boca Raton, the Hilton West Palm Beach, Flagler Hotel (the boutique hotel within The Breakers Palm Beach), The Seagate Golf Club, The Singer Oceanfront Resort, Amrit Ocean Resort, the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, The Vineta Hotel, The Gulfstream Hotel and The Boca Raton, just a name a few.
Claudia Bonaiuto, Director of Luxury Leisure Sales, PGA National Resort, was part of The Palm Beaches delegation along with Garnica. The luxury golf resort in Palm Beach is 30 minutes from PBI and fresh off a $100 million renovation, with 339 guestrooms and suites and 21 two-bedroom cottages. It also offers 99 holes of championship golf on six courses, along with plenty of diversions for non-golfers, including an expansive spa. “Even if you’re not a golfer, you’re welcome” at PGA National Resort, says Bonaiuto.
PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, FL (photo courtesy PGA National Resort & Spa)
In addition to good lift with airlines, The Palm Beaches has also been a big beneficiary of the Brightline rail line, now connecting Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando. The eco-friendly, intercity rail provider in Florida works with travel advisors and pays commission.
TRADE & CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT
In 2023 The Palm Beaches received 9.4 million visitors, including 837,000 international visitors. Canada was the number one international market, topping 358,200. Garnica says the year-over-year stats for Q1 2024 are extremely positive.
Leveraging VoX International’s connection with the travel trade, last month Discover The Palm Beaches launched a new resource to help travel professionals learn, sell, engage with, and promote The Palm Beaches.
The Palm Beaches Travel Trade Portal is DTPB’s first-ever online learning platform tailored specifically for travel advisors. It’s a free online tool to help travel professionals such as travel advisors and tour operators better serve their clients while confidently promoting the destination by learning from modules covering history, geography, lodging, culinary delights, transportation options, events, tourist attractions and more.
“We think it’s important for the trade to be educated on what we have to offer,” says Garnica.
Agents receive their certification after completion of all modules. For the first 100 travel professionals who complete certification, one advisor will be selected at random for a chance to win a two-night, three-day stay for two people, including two roundtrip airline tickets to The Palm Beaches. The prize is based on two travellers and is subject to availability and blackout dates. Certain restrictions apply. Certification must be completed by June 30 and the prize travel window is July through Sept. 30.
To check out the portal and for more details, see https://www.thepalmbeaches.com/travel-professionals/travel-trade-portal.
The Palm Beaches has been highly visible in the Canadian market, not just with the trade but with consumer advertising too. Also last month, DTPB launched a new brand campaign, highlighting the diversity and charm of its 39 cities and towns in ‘The Palm Beaches Collection’ campaign, including the destinations outdoor activities, art & culture, shopping, spa & wellness offerings and delectable dining.
“From trade to consumer marketing, we’ve done a lot in the past year,” says Garnica.
“We know Canada is number one for us and we want that to continue,” he added.
More information about travel to The Palm Beaches is at ThePalmBeaches.com.
