The Melbourne airport — which has been overshadowed by Orlando International Airport and even Orlando Sanford International Airport — wants travelers from outside Florida to consider Melbourne as a less congested alternative to the Orlando airports.
Melbourne International Executive Director Greg Donovan detailed his plan to tourism officials at a recent Brevard County Tourist Development Council meeting, and they liked what they heard.
"The 'Orlando Melbourne' brand is a no-brainer," said Bob Baugher, a hotel owner in the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area and a member of the Tourist Development Council. "The whole world knows about Orlando, Mickey Mouse, the whole thing."
Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Eric Garvey said "identifying the airport as part of the Greater Orlando market is a very smart thing to do."
The theory is that, the more people who fly into Melbourne, instead of Orlando, the more likely they will stay for at least several days at Space Coast hotels if they want a vacation that includes the Orlando-area theme parks, the beach, and perhaps a visit to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex or another local attraction.
The idea, Garvey said, is to "provide an easier and affordable way to enjoy the theme parks in Orlando. We're so close to Orlando, from a tourist's point of view. People will think nothing of an hour's drive. It's a very easy drive."
Garvey said many tourists coming to Florida to visit the Orlando-area theme parks also want to spend some time on the beach. So they will drive to the Space Coast for a day or two.
"The attractions in the Space Coast all rely on tourists coming out of the Orlando market," Garvey said, adding that the Office of Tourism and the airport "can flip that script" so people spend most of their time here, then a few days at the theme parks.
Tourism officials say the approach also will help in having more Port Canaveral cruise passengers who are flying into Florida use Melbourne International, instead of Orlando International. That could lead them to extend their stay at a Space Coast hotel either before or after their cruise.
Trying to connect Orlando with the Space Coast market is not unprecedented. The Space Coast Office of Tourism has marketed the Space Coast as "Orlando's Closest Beaches." And cruise lines have marketed port-of-call stops at Port Canaveral as a stop in Orlando.
Melbourne International Airport as far back as 2010 had referred to itself in certain instances as "Orlando Melbourne," including a campaign involving US Airways, in which website traffic soared.
But Donovan's newest initiative will be more focused, especially in out-of-state marketing. It's also tied in with efforts to have Melbourne International Airport and its flights show up when air travelers are searching for flights to the Orlando area on Internet searches and online booking systems.
"Orlando is what people know," Donovan said.
Orlando Sanford International — whose airport code is SFB — markets itself as: "We Are SFB: Simpler, Faster, Better" in an effort to contrast itself with Orlando International.
Much of the issue at Melbourne International Airport is its relative lack of flights, compared with the Orlando and Sanford airports.
But Donovan said he is trying to change that, citing new nonstop service to Toronto that will start Dec. 19, and increased seating capacity on flights operated by American Airlines and Delta Air Lines out of Melbourne.
Passenger traffic at Melbourne is up 8 percent for the first eight months of 2015, compared with 2014 figures.
Donovan said the Toronto-to-Melbourne flights — which also use a secondary airport in Toronto, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport — will provide air travelers with a welcome alternative to the "cattle call" experience they sometimes find at major airports.
He said having more flights also could help attract more Space Coast residents to use Melbourne International.
Donovan cited a study showing that Melbourne's airport is losing 74 percent of local residents taking flights — or more than 3,400 people a day — who fly out of Orlando, instead of Melbourne, mainly to Northeast and Midwest markets.
He said Melbourne International also has extensive incentives in place to attract new airlines and new routes. Among them:
• Waiving landing fees, terminal rent and gate fees for up to two years.
• Providing airport staff to assist in passenger check-in and baggage handling.
• Providing airline marketing assistance worth $50,000 to $150,000, depending on various benchmarks, including the type and frequency of service added.
• Providing up to $50,000 worth of help in establishing new ticket counters, podiums, gates or office improvements at the airport.
Melbourne International is one of the lowest-cost airports in Florida for airlines to operate in, based on cost per passenger.
The airport also is planning an upgrade to its passenger terminal complex, which dates back to 1989.
As part of the upgrade, Donovan said, the terminal will have "a coastal, business-casual feel," with a color scheme reflecting beach sand and the ocean.
Garvey said he has been working with Donovan "to promote Melbourne as the gateway to Central Florida," something local tourism sector leaders have been meeting "with great enthusiasm and passion."
The Office of Tourism plans to align its own marketing efforts with those of Melbourne International Airport, Garvey said.
By combining a beach and theme park vacation, Garvey said, tourists can get "the best of all worlds."
- Source: http://www.floridatoday.com
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