From Resorts to Green Travel, Palm Beach County Has It All

If travel sellers want a broad vision of what Palm Beach County has to offer their clients, they can look to the history of the destination and the phrases currently used to promote it.

“We boast a number of trademark labels,” said Jorge Pesquera, the new president and chief operating officer of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “These include ‘America’s First Resort Destination,’ in large part because the country’s tourism roots were planted here in 1894, when Standard Oil magnate Henry Flagler fell in love with the area and built his home and two resorts here.

“Another of our trademark labels is ‘Florida’s Cultural Capital,’ because we have a very active cultural council and heritage community here,” he told Travel Market Report.

The county’s CVB has also taken ownership of the phrase ‘Florida’s Golf Capital’ as the county constructed the first golf course in the state and currently has 170 courses and is home to the Professional Golf Association.

Pesquera, who took the helm of the bureau in November, is eager to spread the message to agents that the county provides visitors with a diverse array of accommodations, downtown entertainment districts, arts and cultural attractions, myriad spa and fitness facilities, a host of ecotourism offerings, and a great airport.

Prior to joining the Palm Beach Count CVB, Pesquera served as president and CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, and CEO of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau.

He spoke with Travel Market Report about the breadth of the destination’s offerings to give agents a better understanding of the county and the variety of vacation experiences available to their clients.

Can you give us a sense of what the county includes?
Pesquera: The size and sheer scope of the destination are significant. From Boca Raton in the south to Jupiter in the north, Palm Beach County is roughly the size of Delaware, with 47 miles of coast. We have 38 different cities and towns. Agents will find all our different regions described on our website, by town, at www.palmbeachfl.com. We also have a Vacation Planner, which is available as a PDF and very useful.

How would you describe the Palm Beach visitor?
Pesquera: The visitor mix shifts between seasons. Geographically, during our peak season, which runs from January through March, we draw more of a Northeast customer. In the off-season we get more drive market clientele – people who drive from Georgia and other parts of Florida.

What niche markets is the county known for? 
Pesquera: There are a wide variety of niches that agents can tap into. We’re very much into destination weddings, and we have a lot of them at our coastal resorts, such as the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons. But we’re also seeing a wider interest on the part of other properties in capitalizing on this market. We have beautiful places to stage wonderful wedding and honeymoon experiences.

Another major niche is culture and heritage travel that ties into our concept of ‘Florida‘s Cultural Capital.’ It speaks to the importance of Palm Beach as the real birthplace of tourism development.

Is the county focusing its marketing efforts on any specific groups of travelers?
Pesquera: We’re stepping up our reach to the gay and lesbian market, which in the past has not been uppermost in our marketing efforts.

We’re also targeting the culinary traveler. In Boca Raton and Delray Beach, for instance, there are hundreds of restaurants. Palm Beach County has become the hip place north of Broward to dine. It’s a hopping place – during the week and on the weekends.

We are also focusing on eco travelers, because of the very wide and vast assets that we have in terms of nature, preserves, recreational parks, canals and rivers. Palm Beach County has been designated a gateway community by the Florida Trail Association, with a 1,400-mile trail that runs through the Northeast Everglades Natural Area and the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail in Palm Beach County.

It sounds like green/sustainable travel is a strong focus for the county. 
Pesquera: We have a Florida Green Lodging program, and 42 of our properties have achieved accreditation. There’s a great deal of pride with people who have lived here for generations – and they want to take care of their county. There is leadership – both politically and community wide – to preserve as much as possible of the county’s natural resources.

The Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management is really progressive. They’re heading up the Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative project to recreate mangroves that have been lost and to attract the flora and fauna that have been lost.

What kinds of accommodation options are available in the county?
Pesquera: Palm Beach County has 16,000 rooms. Everything and anything is here, including, among other upscale hotels, two of the most classic luxury resorts in the country: The Breakers, an amazing historic property, and the Boca Raton Resort & Club,which is  part of the Waldorf-Astoria collection. We also have a range of boutique hotels and brand new independent properties like the Seagate Hotel & Spa in Delray Beach. Agents’ clients will find a series of mid-priced hotels of high quality as well, in addition to many bed-and-breakfasts.

There are number of new projects underway, some in downtown West Palm Beach – boutique properties that haven’t yet been announced. A Hyatt in Delray Beach is in the planning stages and there are discussions for a hotel next to the convention center in downtown West Palm Beach.

What about infrastructure developments?
Pesquera: The most important one is the West Palm Beach Waterfront Commons. It’s a $30 million waterfront park with a mile-long landscaped area and a new esplanade, and it has really transformed West Palm Beach. It was designed to incorporate the historical elements of what used to be a pretty high tourist-trafficked area in the 1920s.

What is the visitor experience like at Palm Beach International Airport, compared with Miami or Lauderdale airports?
Pesquera: The airport has undergone $7.5 million in improvements that were completed not more than six or seven months ago. There are new and updated gate areas, and it’s only a 10-minute drive from West Palm Beach.

It’s just a far better way of arriving and departing South Florida. The airport has a dedicated exit from I-95, so for people who are getting on a cruise from Fort Lauderdale or Miami, it’s a wonderful alternative to rent a car and come back and forth through Palm Beach International Airport. 

How is the Palm Beach County CVB working with agents to help them understand and promote travel to Palm Beach County?
Pesquera: We have several dedicated professionals on our staff who are well known in the travel agent world, and we offer travel agent rates and invite agents down for destination reviews. I think we’re going to get a lot more creative with inviting agents down to visit during  our shoulder periods. They can find rates on our website.

What’s your one best piece of advice to agents who would are interested in booking more clients to Palm Beach County?
Pesquera: Agents who want their clients to experience the best of Florida should look no further than Palm Beach County.