News Releases

Through news releases, statements and listings, when tourism and industry news happens, we've got the scoop.

• Visit Jacksonville Announces Retirement of President/CEO

  October 06, 2017 2:54 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – October 6, 2017 – Visit Jacksonville announced today that its President & CEO, Paul Astleford, has informed the board of directors and staff that he will be retiring from the organization.

  Read More
  

• VISIT JACKSONVILLE CELEBRATES “NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK 2017”

  May 08, 2017 11:21 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Visit Jacksonville invites the community to celebrate the accomplishments of the local Travel and Tourism industry, the professionals that make our industry a thriving one, and the visitors that come from all over the world to explore and experience our destination during National Travel and Tourism Week 2017.

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Partners with intoGo for First Official Destination Mobile App

  May 02, 2017 3:31 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. April, 2017-- Jacksonville welcomes more than 20 million visitors each year looking to experience our beaches, parks, cultural attractions, restaurants and overall destination. To ensure they have the most memorable experiences in our destination, we have partnered with intoGo to make them the official app of Visit Jacksonville.

  Read More
  

• Jacksonville Beating the Rest of Florida When It Comes to Tourism Growth

  March 28, 2017 12:57 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- We are on a roll! Jacksonville’s latest tourism data confirms what Visit Jacksonville has been bragging about for months, the city is becoming a hot destination outperforming the growth of every other Florida city, and setting new records for the local tourism industry.

  Read More
  

• Find the HOT BITES in Jax

  March 20, 2017 1:39 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Visit Jacksonville has partnered with local fishing and outdoors expert, Bob McNally, to create a special bi-weekly fishing forecast series for Jacksonville. The HOT BITES online video series will inform anglers on what’s biting, where to drop a line, and what tackle to use while fishing in our waters.

  Read More
  

• Jacksonville Voted #10 TOP DESTINATION ON THE RISE by TripAdvisor

  December 08, 2016 4:52 pm EST

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- 2016 has been another record breaking year for Jacksonville’s Tourism industry, and the year is not over just yet! This month, millions of Tripadvisor users have chosen Jacksonville as the Top 10 Destination on the Rise in the U.S. during the 2016 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards.

  Read More
  

• Let’s Celebrate Families in Jax with “Kids Free November”

  September 27, 2016 11:24 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. September 27, 2016 -- In November we celebrate families in Jacksonville! Once again the city’s top family attractions have partnered with Visit Jacksonville for Kids Free November, a special month-long promotion that offers free admission and other freebies for children at local museums and attractions.

  Read More
  

• It’s Time To Sip & Savor Jax!

  September 12, 2016 3:52 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It’s the perfect time to dine at that restaurant your friends keep talking about because Sip & Savor Jax: Jacksonville’s Dining Week is underway and the best restaurants in town are offering three-course meals for great prices that are sure to make you skip the grocery store and dine out every day!

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Takes Home Flagler Award During 2016 Governor’s Conference

  September 12, 2016 11:03 am EDT

  ORLANDO, Fla.-- Visit Jacksonville has once again been honored with a marketing award during the Flagler Awards ceremony at the Governor's Conference in Orlando.

  Read More
  

• You Are Invited to Sip & Savor Jax!

  August 26, 2016 11:19 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- Are you hungry for a delicious experience? Come Sip & Savor Jax this September during Visit Jacksonville’s annual citywide Restaurant Week.

  Read More
  

• June Sets New Record for Jacksonville’s Tourism Industry

  August 04, 2016 10:30 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville’s tourism growth streak continues with a record-breaking month of June for both visitation and revenue. June marks the 32 straight month of positive gains for Destination Jacksonville.

  Read More
  

• It’s Time to Discover What’s Found #onlyinjax

  March 23, 2016 10:23 am EDT

  Have you ever been to a place that is so spectacular you can't believe you’ve never heard of it before? While it may be a surprise to some, Jacksonville is full of places like that! There are hundreds of unique stories and sites that can be found only in our vibrant destination and Visit Jacksonville is on a mission to highlight those local spots that will take your breath away!

  Read More
  

• What’s New in Jax: Winter 2016

  January 19, 2016 1:06 pm EST

  You don’t have to write about the same old thing because Jacksonville is full of new projects this winter 2016. Not content with being the largest city by landmass in the U.S. and an exciting vacation and meetings and conventions destination, Jacksonville is growing and thriving as the place to be this year with new businesses, attractions and experiences becoming part of the landscape nearly every day.

  Read More
  

• A Year in Beer: The Jax Ale Trail Turns 1!

  December 07, 2015 11:40 am EST

  Visit Jacksonville celebrates the Jax Ale Trail anniversary.

  Read More
  

• Bet You Can’t Stop Saying “WOW” This Holiday Season in Jax

  November 13, 2015 3:00 pm EST

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Experience a city that sparkles extra bright during the holiday season as Jacksonville lights up and invites visitors from across the nation to spend their Winter on our Waters.

  Read More
  

• Kids Free November Is Back in Jax

  October 19, 2015 10:38 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Fall is family time in Jacksonville! After a successful inaugural year in 2014, Visit Jacksonville and its tourism partners are bringing back “Kids Free November,” a month-long special promotion for families to discover and explore Jacksonville’s most entertaining attractions at a fraction of the regular cost

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Wins Big at Flagler Awards

  September 01, 2015 2:06 pm EDT

  TAMPA, Fla. -- Visit Jacksonville is once again very proud to announce a big recognition for its marketing efforts of Jacksonville as a premier tourism destination. Monday night, during the 15th Annual Flagler Awards at the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Visit Jacksonville won a Henry Award for Niche Marketing of the Jax Ale Trail.

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Wins Marketing Award for Jax Ale Trail Campaign

  August 27, 2015 4:48 pm EDT

  PORTLAND, OR -- Visit Jacksonville, the city’s certified Destination Marketing Organization, has been recognized by the U.S. Travel Association with a Destination Council Destiny Award for niche targeting of the Jax Ale Trail. The award was presented during the annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) in Portland Tuesday night.

  Read More
  

• Jacksonville Vacations Should Be Shared!

  July 22, 2015 10:11 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Let’s be honest, the best part of a vacation is making unforgettable memories, then sharing the photos of those memories with everyone on social media. Well now, doing just that could make one lucky person the winner of Visit Jacksonville’s interactive summer postcard contest “Vacations Should Be Shared.”

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Awarded International Accreditation

  July 17, 2015 9:22 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (July 17, 2015) -- Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) has approved Visit Jacksonville for accreditation as part of their Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). This prestigious honor recognizes Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVB) and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) that meet the highest level of quality and performance standards within the industry.

  Read More
  

• It’s an All-American Party in Jacksonville!

  July 01, 2015 4:16 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- From the beaches in the coast to the river in the urban core, Jacksonville is going all-out this Independence Day and we want you to celebrate with us! There's multiple ways to enjoy America’s birthday and you still have plenty of time to book a getaway to our natural water wonderland and enjoy the biggest patriotic party our city has even thrown.

  Read More
  

• July Conventions Mean Big Business for Jacksonville

  June 26, 2015 3:44 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. June 26-- Jacksonville will be the host city for more than 25 meetings and conventions this July, the visiting groups and their convention attendees will create an estimated economic impact of $30 million in new revenue for our city.

  Read More
  

• WHAT’S NEW IN JAX: Summer 2015

  June 21, 2015 5:12 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- The summer is shaping up to really sizzle with exciting new happenings in Jacksonville!

  Read More
  

• Vicky Koele-Bryan Promoted to Visit Jacksonville Visitor Center Operations Manager

  June 11, 2015 2:12 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. June 11, 2015 -- After a nationwide search, Visit Jacksonville has filled its open Visitor Center Operations Manager position by promoting Visitor Center team member, Vicky Koele-Bryan. Koele-Bryan will be responsible for managing all of Visit Jacksonville’s Visitor Centers and the centers staff.

  Read More
  

• The Jax Ale Trail is a Big Hit with Visitors

  June 04, 2015 10:19 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- June 4 marks six months since Visit Jacksonville kicked off the highly successful Jax Ale Trail and its Craft Beer Passport showcasing Jacksonville’s thriving craft beer industry to visitors from all over the nation and world.

  Read More
  

• Get All The #FactsOnJax

  May 04, 2015 9:22 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- Visit Jacksonville is kicking off National Tourism Week 2015 by celebrating our city’s extraordinary attributes in a series of new infographics with information on Jacksonville’s nature, water, attractions, dining, nightlife, sports and arts scene.

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Receives Two Major Recognitions During Marketing Awards Season

  February 09, 2015 2:37 pm EST

  JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- Visit Jacksonville is proud to announce two big recognitions for our Marketing team and our destination.

  Read More
  

• Jacksonville Awarded State Grant to Promote Local Medical Industry

  February 05, 2015 3:27 pm EST

  JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- Visit Jacksonville, the City’s Official Tourism Marketing Office, and its local medical partners, including Mayo Clinic, University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, Ackerman Cancer Center and Market Staging Inc., were awarded a $99,200.00 matching grant by Visit Florida to promote Jacksonville’s award winning medical industry to new patients and medical convention planners.

  Read More
  

• WHAT’S NEW IN JAX: Spring 2015

  February 03, 2015 9:29 am EST

  JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- From new dining options, new festivals, new hotels, new meeting venues, and a major revitalizing of the Downtown district, 2015 is shaping up to be quite the year for Jacksonville!

  Read More
  

• It’s Time to Hop On the Jax Ale Trail!

  December 04, 2014 9:36 am EST

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- When your city has tons of award winning craft brews you want to make sure everyone, especially those visiting from out of town, gets a chance to enjoy all of them, that’s why on this December 4, Visit Jacksonville and Jacksonville’s craft breweries are unveiling the new Jax Ale Trail and the Jax Ale Trail Brewery Passport!

  Read More
  

• Record Breaking Tourism Year in Jacksonville

  December 01, 2014 10:19 am EST

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Thanksgiving holiday has left the Jacksonville Tourism Industry extra thankful, as we celebrate 12 months of consecutive gains in both visitation and hotel revenue in Duval County.

  Read More
  

• Jacksonville Recognized as Top City For Culture and Music

  September 25, 2014 3:22 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The votes are in and they bring great news for Jacksonville! This summer, ConventionSouth magazine, a national multimedia resource for those who plan events and meetings held within the South, asked readers and Facebook fans to vote for the cities they felt were the best places to hold a meeting based on their culture and music scene, the results are now in and Jacksonville was chosen #4 in the “South’s Top 10 Music Spots for Meetings & Events,” and our city, along with the rest of the Northeast Florida area, was also voted “Best City for Culture” for meetings and conventions.

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Celebrates Local Tourism Industry

  September 18, 2014 9:22 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Sept. 17, 2014 -- Visit Jacksonville celebrated a successful year for the local tourism industry during the ‘Destination Celebration: Wave of Impact” event at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. Close to 400 tourism, city, and community leaders join the city’s official tourism organization to celebrate the achievements and the positive impact of the industry in Jacksonville.

  Read More
  

• Spring-Summer Vacation Season Sets Records in Jacksonville

  September 04, 2014 2:00 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- What a summer! Jacksonville’s spring and summer vacation season has come to an end, but it leaves behind great successes for our destination. Duval County’s hotel occupancy tracking system, Smith Travel Research, released numbers showing hotel occupancy was up across the city, and earnings were up to levels not previously seen in the 10 years the company has been tracking tourism in the county. Jacksonville is on trend with the rest of the state in reporting record-breaking visitation numbers for the spring and summer seasons in 2014.

  Read More
  

• “#OnlyInJax” Instagram Campaign is a Big Hit!

  August 14, 2014 4:27 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Blown away, that’s how Visit Jacksonville feels about the support, reaction, and engagement behind its summer social media campaign #OnlyInJax.

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Welcomes New Board Members

  August 01, 2014 12:14 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. July 29, 2014-- Visit Jacksonville, the city’s Destination Marketing Office, has appointed three distinguished industry professionals to its board of directors for 2014.

  Read More
  

• Jacksonville Is the New Home of the International Pageants

  July 25, 2014 4:20 pm EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- International Pageants has found a new home, as Visit Jacksonville brings International Pageant’s Mrs. International, Miss International, and Miss Teen International pageants to Jacksonville for the next three years. This year’s edition of the International Pageants will be held July 24 through August 2 at the Moran Theatre at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.

  Read More
  

• It’s Time to Show Us Your “#OnlyInJax” Moments

  July 09, 2014 9:52 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- After a successful phase one, Visit Jacksonville is ready to kick off part two of its summer “#OnlyInJax” social media campaign. Starting on July 9, Jacksonville’s Destination Marketing Office is asking visitors and locals to tag images of their Jacksonville vacations and unique Jacksonville experiences with the hashtag #OnlyInJax.

  Read More
  

• Visitors Leave Big Economic Impact After Florida Country Superfest

  July 02, 2014 12:48 pm EDT

  -Inaugural Event Attracts More than 27,000 Out-Of-Town Visitors to Jacksonville-

  Read More
  

• Sesquiquadricentennial Commemoration Events Begin at Visit Jacksonville

  June 30, 2014 9:47 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. June 30-- Jacksonville’s 450 years of French heritage is coming alive this month with Sesquiquadricentennial Commemoration events. Visit Jacksonville is honoring this historical year by unveiling the “French-Florida Cultural Center” as part of its Downtown location.

  Read More
  

• Research Shows Jacksonville Jazz Festival Is A Hit With Visitors and Locals

  June 19, 2014 2:28 pm EDT

  Jacksonville, Fla. June 17, 2014 -- Research funded by Visit Jacksonville and conducted by a research team from the University of North Florida (UNF) has concluded that visitors from outside the Jacksonville community accounted for 33 percent of all attendees to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and generated nearly $2.83 million in economic impact to our destination.

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Launches “#OnlyInJax” Instagram Campaign

  June 18, 2014 10:07 am EDT

  Jacksonville, Fla. June 18, 2014 -- Visit Jacksonville launches its first major tourism campaign on Instagram, encouraging residents and visitors to highlight all the special attractions, places and sights that can be found only in Jacksonville by posting images to the social network with the hashtag #OnlyInJax.

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Introduces New Look, Functionality at visitjacksonville.com

  June 16, 2014 11:36 am EDT

  Website redesign incorporates latest technology and enhancements to market destination

  Read More
  

• Visit Jacksonville Enters Marketing Partnership with Axemen

  April 30, 2014 10:36 am EDT

  City’s Destination Marketing Organization will Promote 2014 USA Rugby Championship at UNF

  Read More
  

• WHAT’S NEW IN JAX: Fall-Winter 2013

  October 16, 2013 4:39 pm EDT

  The new season brings changes and new projects for Jacksonville, including renovations at local hotels, an expansion of our shopping mecca - the St. Johns Town Center-, a major milestone for the local cruising industry and the popular Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic. This is the time to visit Jacksonville and explore all there is to see and do in Florida’s most vibrant destination!

  Read More
  

• Show Us How Much You Know About JAX!

  July 08, 2013 10:51 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- We want you to show us how much you know about our unique and vibrant “River City by the Sea” and in response we will show you a great time in Jax!

  Read More
  

• WHAT’S NEW IN JAX: Summer-Fall 2013

  June 21, 2013 11:49 am EDT

  JACKSONVILLE, FL. -- The upcoming seasons bring new and exciting changes to our city including an all new JAXtoberfest celebration, a new NFL season, the return of the dining series Eat Up Downtown and affordable options for big conventions and fun attractions to take your getaway from fun to fantastic!

  Read More
  

• OnlyInJax.com

  March 14, 2013 10:01 am EDT

  If you have ever wondered “What makes Jacksonville special? What sets us apart?” then you need to visit www.OnlyInJax.com and find out all the unique, exciting and special things, places and sights that can only be experienced here in the best destination in Florida.

  Read More