Florida Attractions Finder Puts Travelers in Front-Row Seat

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- VISIT FLORIDA today unveiled the Florida Attractions Finder, an interactive vacation planning tool that allows travelers to virtually experience their Florida thrills from a front-row seat. Point-of-view videos send users careening and diving on the newest roller coasters, zip-lining over alligators (look down if you dare), and skimming the Everglades aboard an airboat. Whether visitors are looking for a first-time Florida experience or wishing to repeat their favorite Florida vacation moment, the Florida Attractions Finder puts the power of discovery in the user's hands.

"I am pleased to announce the launch of the Florida Attractions Finder, showcasing the state's diverse attractions to visitors from around the world," said Paul Phipps, chief marketing officer at VISIT FLORIDA. "The ability to try out different attractions and imagine yourself in the middle of the excitement is part of the fun we all have when anticipating a Florida vacation."

Built on the TripTuner platform used to construct VISIT FLORIDA's successful Beach Finder in 2014, the Florida Attractions Finder aggregates images of different attractions based on changes made to the dial settings. Four separate settings can be adjusted depending on the user's vacation preferences: from thrill to chill, popular to hidden gem, high-tech to natural, and days to hours. The interface then matches the user with an attraction, which could be an internationally recognized theme park or an off-the-beaten path experience.

Where the Beach Finder payoff was the Street View images that have attracted 260 million views on Google and VISITFLORIDA.com, the user's reward on the Attractions Finder is an exhilarating POV YouTube video rehearsal. Clicking "MORE" will take the viewer to the attraction's official website.

"TripTuner is honored to collaborate with VISIT FLORIDA and the Florida Attractions Association to provide travelers with an innovative way to discover attractions in tune with their interests," says Tedd Evers, TripTuner Founder and CEO.  "Whether it's a popular theme park or lesser-known hidden gem, visitors to the Sunshine State can now find ideal options that will create lasting memories."

The Florida Attractions Association partnered with VISIT FLORIDA on this project by providing the initial vetting criteria for the beta version and acted as a consulting resource for the 130 attractions featured.

"Florida has an enormous amount of diverse experiences to consider. We wanted to see the Florida Attractions Finder become a reality because it has the power to make planning and finding vacation experiences easier and fun," said Bill Lupfer, president and CEO of the Florida Attractions Association.

This summer, another 50 attractions will be added to the Finder and future plans will allow users to submit videos and compete for viewers' choice awards.

The Florida Attractions Finder can be accessed here: VISITFLORIDA.com/attractionsfinder

About VISIT FLORIDA
As the Sunshine State's No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming 105 million visitors in 2015 who spent $89.1 billion and employing 1.2 million Floridians. According to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, for every $1 the state invests in VISIT FLORIDA – the official tourism marketing corporation for the state of Florida – $3.20 in tax revenue is generated. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 11,000 tourism industry businesses, including major strategic alliance partnerships with Busch Gardens Tampa, Disney Destinations, The Hertz Corporation, LEGOLAND Florida Resort, SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando, Simon Shopping Destinations and Universal Orlando Resort. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, please go to VISITFLORIDA.org or follow us on our industry social media channels: SunshineMatters.org, Facebook and Twitter @FloridaTourism.

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SOURCE VISIT FLORIDA