Boca Raton, Fla. – Yesterday, VISIT FLORIDA announced the recipients of the 2022 Florida Tourism Hall of Fame and Flagler Awards. Each year, leaders in Florida tourism are chosen by selection committees to receive these prestigious awards.

Florida Tourism Hall of Fame

Since 2001, individuals have been chosen annually to be inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame. This honor, presented by the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors, recognizes contemporary and historic figures whose vision, creativity and drive have had a positive and significant impact on the development of Florida as a desirable visitor destination. The 2022 Florida Tourism Hall of Fame inductee is Christopher L. Thompson. For more than three decades, Chris has distinguished himself as a highly respected industry and community leader, serving as President and CEO of Brand USA since 2012. In this role, Chris is responsible for accelerating the organization’s efforts to build and execute effective marketing strategies to increase U.S. travel exports, create jobs, strengthen the economy, and help enhance the image of the United States with people all over the world. Under Chris’ leadership, Brand USA has nearly tripled its partnership network and more than doubled its partner contributions and program offerings. He began his career in tourism with the Division of Tourism in the former Florida Department of Commerce in April 1983, and he became bureau chief for domestic tourism in April 1986. In November 1988, he joined the Leon County Tourist Development Council as the organization’s first executive director, and in April 1991, he took leadership of the Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau as President and CEO. In August 1995, Chris founded MarketServe, Inc., a professional management, marketing and planning services company based in Tallahassee. Two years later, he joined VISIT FLORIDA as Senior Vice President of Partner Development. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in May 2003, and named President and CEO in May 2009.

Throughout his career, Chris has been honored with a number of industry awards and recognized for numerous accomplishments, including being named the first recipient of Skål International’s USA National Tourism Leadership Award in 2018 in recognition of his “very meaningful contribution to the growth and success of tourism in the United States.” In 2015, Chris received the NTA National Tour Association's (NTA) Pioneer Award for his accomplishments in producing significant changes in the travel industry. He was named one of the "Top Twenty-Five Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing" by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International in both 2009 and 2013.

Chris is currently on the board of Destinations International, where he is on the organization’s Executive and Global Leadership committees. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute, an entity within the Department of Tourism, Recreation, and Sport Management at the University of Florida. A Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) since May 2010, Chris has also been a member of and served on the leadership boards of numerous other national, regional, state, and local trade associations and organizations. The list includes the U.S. Travel Association; U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (to the Secretary of Commerce); Travel and Tourism Advisory Council (to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Miami Branch); Association of Travel Marketing Executives; Southeast Tourism Society; and Skål. Chris’ experience, expertise, and dedication have been essential to the success of Florida’s tourism industry, and continue to make a positive impact on travelers from all over the world.

“Florida’s reputation as a world-renowned vacation destination is due in great measure to the tourism industry leaders who have paved the way for our success. Chris Thompson has not only been a pivotal force in Florida, but the U.S. travel industry as a whole. We are so thrilled to welcome Chris into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame and we congratulate him on this incredible honor.” – Dana Young, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA

“On behalf of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Honors, it is an honor to induct Chris Thompson into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame. His leadership in both Florida and beyond have been absolutely instrumental for the success of the U.S. travel industry, and we are incredibly grateful for his service.” – Greg Cook, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island; Chairman, VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors

For more information about the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame, click here.

Flagler Awards

Named for Henry Flagler, the Flagler Awards were established in 2000 to recognize outstanding tourism marketing in Florida. Annually, the Flagler Awards honor many of the countless individuals and organizations that help maintain and improve Florida’s position as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. The awards are open to all individuals, private businesses and not-for-profit organizations offering a product or service that promotes tourism to or within the state of Florida.

As in previous years, the 2022 Flagler Awards drew entries from Florida’s tourism partners, large and small. Working independently, a panel of judges evaluated the creativity, innovation, production quality, and effectiveness of each entry. Based on the judges’ cumulative scores, awards were presented to the top three entries in each category: the Bronze Award for the third highest scoring entry, the Silver Award for the second highest scoring entry, and for the highest scoring entry in each category, the Henry Award. The 2022 Flagler Award winners in 18 categories, plus Best in Show at three budget levels, are listed below.

Creativity in Public Relations

Bronze: Green Gables at the Historic Riverview Village for “Wash Your Hands”
Silver: Discover The Palm Beaches for the Discover the Palm Beaches Brand Campaign Launch
Henry: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods for “Sanibel Island Shines on Southern Living’s “The South’s Best” Issue with Cover Feature and Placement
Henry: St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport for the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Super Bowl® LV Activation

Direct Marketing

Bronze: Visit Panama City Beach for the “Real. Fun. Beach.” E-Newsletter
Silver: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island New York Times Great Getaways Emails
Henry: Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods for the Facebook Welcome Email Series

Internet Advertising

Bronze: Discover Crystal River Florida for the “Book Midweek & Save” Digital Campaign
Silver: Visit Panama City Beach for the Visit Panama City Beach Happy Thanks Beaching Holiday Campaign
Henry: The Florida Keys & Key West for The Florida Keys Destination Content Module

Mixed Media Campaign

Bronze: Visit Lauderdale for "Welcome"
Silver: The Franklin County Tourist Development Council for the Florida's Forgotten Coast "The Florida You Remember" Campaign
Henry: Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism for “Little Adventures”

Mobile Marketing

Bronze: Visit Sarasota County for the Beach Pass Mobile App Program
Silver: Visit Tampa Bay for “Bay Crafted”
Henry: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island Instant Experience Travel Guides

Niche Marketing

Bronze: The Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center for “Discover Where There is More to Explore”
Silver: Visit Lauderdale for the LGBT+ Campaign
Henry: Visit Tampa Bay for “Florida's Most Accessible Destination”

Out-of-Home

Bronze: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island Welcome Center Displays
Silver: The Florida Keys & Key West for The Florida Keys Out-of-Home Campaign
Henry: Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism for “Little Adventures”

Print Advertising

Bronze: The Florida Keys & Key West for The Florida Keys Print Campaign
Silver: Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism for “Little Adventures”
Henry: Visit Lauderdale for “Welcome”

Radio Advertising

Silver: The Space Coast Office of Tourism for “On The Space Coast” Radio Advertising
Henry: The Florida Keys & Key West for The Florida Keys Radio Campaign

Resource/Promotional Material – Consumer

Bronze: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater for the Gulf to Bay Destination Magazine
Silver: The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County for the Art&Culture Magazine: A Story-Forward Resource for Cultural Tourists Visiting The Palm Beaches
Henry: Anna Maria Island Wedding Association for the Anna Maria Wedding Magazine

Resource/Promotional Material – Trade

Silver: Visit Panama City Beach for the “Real. Fun. Beach.” Vacation Guide
Henry: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island Meetings Brochure

Rural County Marketing

Bronze: The Franklin County Tourist Development Council for the “Forgotten Coast Like a Local” Series
Silver: The Gulf County Tourist Development Council for “Creating Locals By Association” and “Local Legends”
Henry: Visit Sebring for the Marketing & Recruitment Campaign for Sporting Events

Social Media Marketing

Bronze: Visit Indian River for the Uncovering Indian River Video Series
Silver: Visit Panama City Beach for the Chicago Nonstop Flight Social Campaign
Henry: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for their Amelia Island Event Ads

Special Event

Bronze: The Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island Dickens on Centre Enchanted Village
Silver: Visit Tampa Bay for “Unlock the Block”
Henry: Visit Lauderdale for The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

Sustainable Tourism Marketing

Bronze: The Monroe County Tourist Development Council for “The Florida Keys & Key West: Lobster Mini-Season Campaign”
Silver: The Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival & the City of Clearwater for “Allie-Gator Engages Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festivalgoers to Keep Clearwater Beach Clean”
Henry: The Clearwater Marine Aquarium for “Creating Eco-Rangers Through Partnership”

Television Advertising

Bronze: The Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center for “Where there is always more to explore”
Silver: Discover The Palm Beaches for The Palm Beaches “The Original. The One. The Only.” Leisure Campaign TV Spots
Henry: Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism for “Little Adventures”

Tourism Advocacy

Bronze: The Martin County Office of Tourism & Marketing for the Digital Marketing Training Program
Silver: The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County & Discover The Palm Beaches for The Arts & Tourism Summit on Equity, Diversion & Inclusion
Henry: The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau for the “Miami Eats” Program

Websites

Bronze: The Florida Keys & Key West for the Kiosk-Based Visitor Surveys and Commission Free Reservations System
Silver: Lion Country Safari for their Website Redesign
Henry: Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism for “Little Adventures”

Best of Show

Annual marketing budget less than $500,000: The Anna Maria Island Wedding Association for Anna Maria Wedding Magazine
Annual marketing budget between $500,000 ‐ $2 million: Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau for “Ocala National Forest - Florida's Hidden Gem”
Annual marketing budget greater than $2 million: Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau for the Amelia Island Meetings Brochure

For more information about the Flagler Awards, click here.

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