Following recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Visit Florida president and CEO Dana Young estimated the amount of negative earned media at $159 million. This has created the misconception of widespread devastation across the state, she said. 

Since October, Visit Florida has been running an $800,000 paid social media campaign, focusing on footage from more than 10 locations around the state, such as Amelia Island, Panama City Beach, Islamorada and Pensacola, under the campaign theme The Sun is Shining in Florida. It aims to show that much of the state was not affected by the storms.

The campaign’s next phase will offer direct marketing assistance to the counties most affected by the storms, including Pinellas, Sarasota and Manatee, with additional support for the rural counties of Taylor, Dixie and Levy. 

This week, Visit Florida kicked off a $3 million marketing campaign that highlights fully recovered destinations that were affected by the hurricanes, such as Tampa, Naples and Fort Myers. As part of the campaign rollout, Visit Florida has called on its network of in-state creators to share what their hometown looks like, highlighting activities that visitors can experience. The organization is also recruiting creators who have recently visited the Sunshine State. Citizen Relations is supporting Visit Florida for this campaign.