Melbourne, FL (MARCH 22, 2022) – TUI, the UK’s largest tour provider, has officially arrived on the Space Coast as the first transatlantic carrier for the Melbourne Orlando International Airport. The inaugural flight landed on March 22, 2022, and the Space Coast Office of Tourism is excited to welcome the brand and its guests flying in from 8 regional UK airports. TUI is projecting 2 to 3 flights a day with 16 flights per week by Summer 2022, bringing in 135,000 tourists this year. A typical Florida stay will last on average 10-14 days from their visitors.

“Many of these initial guests are excited to return to an Orlando vacation,” says Peter Cranis, Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director. “We hope their initial arrival on the Space Coast will encourage them to spend some time here on this vacation and continue to plan Space Coast days or full trips in the future.”

The Space Coast Office of Tourism is working with MLB on a new Welcome Center for international visitors and has set aside a budget of $300,000 to market the region to TUI’s loyal customers. A number of hotels and local attractions have partnered with TUI for vacation packages with more hoping to do so in the future. In addition, TUI’s Marella Cruises will homeport a ship at Port Canaveral starting in 2023, increasing their record number of homeported ships and encouraging a Space Coast stay for TUI’s cruising clientele.

TUI visitors are expected to bring millions of dollars of visitor spending to the Space Coast, and the Office of Tourism plans to conduct a formal economic impact study in the coming year.

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Media Contact:
Meagan Happel, PR Manager
Meagan.Happel@visitspacecoast.com
321-474-2204