FACT SHEET
Web Site
www.FloridaVacationAuction.com
FloridaVacationAuction.com will officially launch Oct. 1. At that time, planning a
Sunshine State escape will be as easy as bid, win and enjoy. Consumers can currently
preview the site and sign up to receive advance notice for upcoming auction items.
Summary
Planning a vacation to Florida is about to get easier and less expensive for travelers
thanks to a new Web site – FloridaVacationAuction.com. For travel suppliers such as
hotels and attractions, it’s a new unique advertising venue to reach potential customers.
Visitors to www.FloridaVacationAuction.com will find vacation packages around the
Sunshine State including beach resorts, theme park hotels, golf and spa retreats, bed &
breakfasts escapes, and attraction tickets. Users of the site will then bid on these
vacation packages in an auction format. Savings start at 80 percent off regular prices.
There are no costs to participate and bid for an auction listing.
For those who choose not to participate in the auction process, the site’s Buy Direct
feature allows them to take advantage of special offers from Florida Vacation Auction’s
travel partners. Those who click on the Buy Direct feature are taken to the suppliers
Web site where they can book the travel package directly with the provider.
Benefits to Consumers
Planning a Florida vacation is as easy as Bid, Win and Enjoy with Florida Vacation
Auction. The new web site gives travelers two ways to enjoy a Sunshine State
vacation. First, users can participate in auctions where savings can be as much as 80
percent. Second, they can select the Buy Direct offers and go straight to a Florida
Vacation Auction’s travel supplier’s Web site and book a vacation package directly with
the hotel or resort. These Buy Direct offers feature special rates and value added
packages.
Each week new auctions will appear on the site. Site users can view these auctions
based on location, vacation experience (attractions, golf, spa, etc.) or price range. After
determining which vacation package they are interested in, they simply register or log in
and begin bidding. There is no cost to bid.
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The site is the exclusive vacation auction partner of VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official
source for travel planning. As a result of this partnership, vacation planners can bid with
confidence in names they recognize and trust.
The winner of each auction, upon confirmation of receipt of payment, will receive a
travel certificate to enjoy their winning trip.
Travel Industry Benefits
Today, consumers have multiple choices to research and purchase travel online. For
suppliers and destination marketing organizations that means developing new
resources and dealing with growing issues related to inventory management, increased
commission payouts, and for DMOs, decreased funding from loss of bed tax revenues.
FloridaVacationAuction.com is different. The site is not another intermediary to deal
with; it is an advertising option to help Florida travel suppliers acquire more consumers.
Travel industry members advertising on the site will find many benefits. Listings last for
four weeks, including one week for the auction and both pre- and post-auction weeks.
In additions, customers using the Buy Direct feature are actually directed to the
suppliers Web site so there are no commissions involved and no inventory
management.
Florida Vacation Auction is also working to eliminate issues area Convention and
Visitors Bureaus and Tourism Development Councils are experiencing with other online
travel intermediaries. The site will pay all bed taxes collected on winning auction items.
This will insure local destinations are not losing out on revenue supplies.
The site is the exclusive vacation auction partner of VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official
source for travel planning. For Florida travel suppliers who are VISIT FLORIDA
Partners, it means special discounts on listing fees. Furthermore, there will be a direct
link from VisitFlorida.com to FloridaVacationAuction.com. This link will naturally drive
traffic to site and prove beneficial to Florida Vacation Auction advertisers.
Developer
FloridaVacationAuction.com is being developed by Vacation Auctions, Inc., under the
leadership of travel marketing veteran Sal Dickinson. For more than two decades,
Dickinson has worked with resorts, destinations, cruise lines and more. He has
volunteered and worked with many destination marketing organizations and served as
the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s chair of the Americas.
Media Contact
Doug Luciani
407-850-5096
[email protected]