About Visit Pensacola

  Pensacola offers more than just beautiful beaches with its sugar-white sands and clear blue waters. The city boasts a vibrant downtown area, filled with walkable streets, diverse restaurants, theaters, live music, and festivals. A major attraction is the Smithsonian-quality Naval Aviation Museum, home to the famous Blue Angels. Pensacola's rich history, influenced by British, Spanish, French, and U.S. cultures, is reflected in its architecture and cuisine. Darien Schaefer from Visit Pensacola discusses efforts to promote the destination in the UK market, aiming to attract more international visitors and enhance its global appeal.  

Visit Pensacola is now accepting applications for its event marketing grant program between October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025. New this year, the program has been restructured to better support the promotion of overnight and out-of-town visitors to selected events and experiences. Most notable changes to the program include the assistance of Visit Pensacola and its marketing agency of record for out-of-market marketing efforts. For awarded grants, 25% is available to use on operations and 75% of the funding will go to marketing outside of the destination. Visit Pensacola will work closely with each event team to develop a custom marketing plan that expands the event's local promotions effort. Creative messaging and audience targeting will be customized to each event. This allows events to leverage Visit Pensacola's resources for media buys, as well as the tools to measure and document success. Other revisions to the program this year include the grant request amount increased to $50,000. The Visit Pensacola budget for the program will be set at a total of $300,000 subject to TDT funding. The grant deadline is June 4, at midday and applications must be submitted electronically. Grant workshops will be hosted and all grant applicants are required to attend one of the workshops. The Visit Pensacola Grant Committee will meet to review and score applications June 21 from 9-11 a.m. at the UWF Historic Trust Bowden Building. Applicants are encouraged to attend to present to the committee. Workshops take place on April 15,19, 26 and 29. Following this, the Visit Pensacola Board of Directors will vote to approve grants on June 26 at the monthly board meeting. The Visit Pensacola grant program was established in 2015 to help organizations that coordinate events or visitor experiences. The aim is to optimize the messaging to boost out of town visitation. The Visit Pensacola event grant program's main purpose is to attract visitors overnight while engaging the local community with more experiences. To date, the program has awarded over $1.6 million to numerous events and organizations within Escambia County. For events seeking funds less than $5,000, mini grants are available year-round. More at: visitpensacola.com/events/submit-your-event/

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Visit Pensacola is marking National Plan for Vacation Day with Vacation Giveaway. To celebrate National Plan for Vacation Day, one winner will receive a three-night vacation for two in Pensacola including lodging and airfare valued at over $2,000. "National Plan for Vacation Day is a great way for our organization to kickstart the year and encourage people to travel," said CEO Darien Schaefer. “Not only does travel stimulate the economy, but it also improves people's overall well-being and happiness.” To enter the contest, travelers must be on Instagram. They need to like the dedicated Plan for Vacation reel, and follow Visit Pensacola. Also they must tag a friend in the comments. Every additional follower tag on the post is an extra entry, plus followers can leave a comment on any of Visit Pensacola's Instagram posts in January to count as an extra entry. The contest runs until midday, January 30, and the winner will be notified the following day. 

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  Darren Schaefer of Visit Pensacola discusses the destination's appeal with Graham McKenzie. Pensacola is portrayed as an extraordinary beach destination with a significant historical background, dating back to 1559 as the first European settlement in the U.S. Schaefer emphasizes the city's diverse offerings, including architecture, food, and a welcoming community. The walkable downtown area, developed over the last decade, features independent shops and restaurants, contributing to its charm. New developments, such as the America's First Settlement Trail, a three-mile historical walk with QR code points, showcase Pensacola's rich history, adding to its allure beyond the beautiful beaches.  

Visit Pensacola has announced a series of initiatives to improve the visitor experience. The destination marketing organization has rolled out an improved Visit Pensacola App. The app is an easy to navigate pocket guide for Escambia County featuring deals, daily events, geolocation-based suggestions for dining and activities, maps, and an itinerary builder. The DMO also now has a Visit Pensacola Kiosk located on the first floor of the Pensacola International Airport. Users can build itineraries complete with events, activities, and more, and email it to themselves. The kiosk also features content powered by VisitPensacola.com and a photobooth. Also, between the Perdido Key and Pensacola Visitor Information Centers, eight life-size video display boards provide digital touchpoints with scannable QR codes for events and destination information. In the visitor information centers are printed destination resources and a wealth of knowledge from the tourism ambassadors. “Our goal at Visit Pensacola is to be destination experts and share The Way to Beach™ at different access points,” said CEO Darien Schaefer. “The new applications allow us to share detailed area information for those looking to enjoy Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, and Perdido Key with the most up to date and personalized information.” Visit Pensacola is the destination organization for Escambia County, which includes Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, and Perdido Key. It boasts over 460 years of history and nearly 40 miles of white sand beaches.

Pensacola is ‘The Artful Way to Beach.’ There is a vibrant arts and culture scene right here – enabling visitors to take in a musical performance, graceful dance, live music or view priceless art. Pensacola is the only destination between Mobile and Jacksonville that is home to the “big five” in Northwest Florida. Locals and travelers alike have access to the Pensacola Opera, Ballet Pensacola, the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, the Saenger Theatre and the Pensacola Museum of Art. Institutions like First City Arts Center, the Pensacola Little Theatre (established in 1936) and Vinyl Music Hall also offer year-round events and performances. Pensacola is also home to the Foo Foo Festival – an annual 12-day arts and culture happening, highlighting the destination’s unique arts and cultural heritage. This year’s events will celebrate the festival's 10-year anniversary and will take place November 2-13, 2023. Anchor events include the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, Big Green Egg Fest, and the Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow on Veteran’s Day weekend. Local artists are also celebrated in the community tradition of Gallery Night. Each month, downtown Palafox Street is closed to cars for the free event dedicated to taking art to the streets featuring artists, music, food and vendors. Visitors hoping to take a piece of local art with them can head to the Blue Morning Gallery which houses an eclectic collection showcasing over 60 Pensacola artists’ works including photography, sculpture, glass, beadwork, wood, tile and more.  

Visit Pensacola's incoming board members and officers were welcomed at Wednesday’s annual meeting by staff, industry leaders, tourism partners, and community members. The annual meeting marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for the organization and showcases the industry's achievements. This year, Visit Pensacola announced the launch of its new brand, The Way to Beach™. "This past year we’ve seen difficult challenges met with determination by our hospitality and tourism industry. To support our destination and its future efforts we felt strongly that we needed to evolve the Visit Pensacola brand into something that told our destinations’ story completely,” Visit Pensacola President and CEO Darien Schaefer said. “The Way to Beach™ is Pensacola because we’re not just any beach with beautiful water and white sand – we have arts, we have food, we have neighborhoods, and we have a community that makes this truly the best destination to live, work, play, and visit.” Along with announcing the brand, Schaefer shared that Escambia County had a record-breaking year across the board including record average daily rates (ADR), occupancy, and tourism development tax collections (TDT). In fiscal year 2021, $17,671,461 in TDT dollars was collected, an increase of 59.9% over FY 20, and 23.3% over FY 19. Adding to the 2021 fiscal year industry successes, Schaefer highlighted a detailed list of Visit Pensacola’s leading accomplishments:

• Launched six new marketing campaigns that were seen by more than 156 million travelers.
• Supported and serviced 230 tourism partners in the Pensacola Bay Area community.
• Assisted in hosting the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Basketball Championship that garnered over $1,600,000 in economic impact in Escambia County.
• Commissioned a Unique Emotional Positioning Focus Group and Lifestyle Segmentation Study to better reach potential Pensacola Bay Area visitors.
• Garnered $26,552,125 in destination sales.

Engaged in building on that energy, incoming Board Chair Deandra Holcomb, Owner of Ho2 Dolphin tours, remarked on her vision for the upcoming year. “Pensacola has many unique stories to tell and that’s why we are The Way to Beach™. Areas of focus for the 2022 fiscal year will be strategic planning through 2030, increasing tourism partner participation in marketing the destination, and increasing local awareness of how Tourism Works forEscambia County,” Holcomb said. “Creating awareness about the economic impact and overall value of tourism in our community is imperative. Residents should know that every dollar spent on tourism marketing generates $3 in tax revenue and that visitors tax revenue saves each household $492 in taxes per year, it’s all pretty impressive.”

Graham McKenzie visited Floridas Panhandle and found a gem.  

In a Nutshell

The drive from the south along the Gulf Islands National Seashore Road is like a fairy-tale ride as you become surrounded by the whitest of sand edged by the blue water of the ocean within a stone's throw either side. The experience is so unique It is something everybody should try to enjoy at some point in their life. For beach goers, wind surfers or plain old pleasure seekers this is Nirvana. The magical route, the J Earle Bowden Way, leads to one of the most interesting destinations on the Gulf Coast which couples national attractions with a small-town feel - Pensacola.

Why your clients should go

Pensacola is a little off the beaten track as far as the majority of UK visitors are concerned but is well worth the effort as it just that little bit different. For a start it is the panhandle's  westernmost city and is in the Central Standard Time Zone so for the majority of the year it is 6 hrs behind the UK which, for intellectually challenged travellers such as I, can cause surprise. Secondly it has some of the best beaches on the entire continent made up of the famous gulf sand that is so fine you could rub it all over and use it as a cosmetic exfoliant. When your feet hit the golden white particles, they are so delicate they emit a squeaking sound as if to protest at your presence.

What to see and what to do

The National Museum of Naval Aviation is situated in Pensacola which is hardly a surprise given that it is the base, and has been since 1914, for almost anything that goes on within US Naval Aviation. The training school boasts some incredible alumni including John Glenn and Neil Armstrong who are perhaps better known for their activities outside the earth's atmosphere. Within the museum more than 150 aircraft and spacecraft are on display. Given that its mission is to "to select, collect, preserve and display appropriate memorabilia representative of the development, growth and historic heritage of United States Naval Aviation" it's hardly surprising. Fascinating is an understatement.

Just across the bay you will find some military heritage of an older vintage with Fort Pickens. Designed by a Frenchman it was originally planned as a defensive outpost after the war of independence. After this the Union army took ownership during the early stages of Civil War and despite many attempts by the Florida Militia coupled with the resources of the Confederate army it remained under their control. It stayed in military use right until the end of the second world war shortly after it had been rearmed as a deterrent to German U-Boats. The entire area surrounding the fort is a haven for birdlife and it is common to see osprey at close quarters alongside other species that would be unique and new to the eyes of  a rank amateur British ornithologist.

One of the outstanding aspects of the Pensacola area is the ability to be active and I don't mean just jogging. Kayaking, snorkelling, cycling and hiking are just a few of the things you can do. All of them are generally completed under a blue sky within striking distance of white sand and blue water which adds to the sensation of freedom.  I went for a short walk around Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park which has the additional benefit of an elevated boardwalk that allows easy viewing of rare plants and animals, including turtles, without disturbing the eco system. For those that are keener to stretch those legs just a wee bit more a day hike across to Perdido Bay beckons. The access, openness, and ease with which one can get about under your own steam, close to nature and feel away from the madding crowd is extremely praiseworthy.

Food and Drink

It would be easy to write a whole guide to the food and drink possibilities so I will restrict it to two of each.  Firstly drink.

A short cab drive from downtown Pensacola you can reach the state border with Alabama where lies one of the most infamous bars in the region - Florabama.  Built on the state line in 1964 it has over the years gained a reputation for fun, music, mullet toss competitions and a whole bunch of irreverent fun. If you go, and you should, make sure you have at least a sip of one their famous Florabama bushwhacker cocktails which is in essence an alcoholic milkshake. Second on the where to drink catalogue is Garden and Grain situated downtown adjacent to the historic district of the city which itself is full of older properties and independent retail outlets. Here the cocktail list is forever changing but the atmosphere is consistently friendly and fun. I highly recommend it as I do their very extensive range of Rums.

Fish, Fish and Fish is the order of the day in Pensacola. Like many coastal destinations in Florida, Pensacola benefits from a ready supply of fresh seafood and here they make the most of it. The Grand Marlin of Pensacola Beach restaurant is a fine example of how to prepare, cook and service fresh local ingredients from the ocean. Sophistication is the name of the game with elegant presentation but above all authentic flavours that complement the beachfront location.  Another flying the flag of fresh seafood is Red Fish Blue Fish, Here the atmosphere is less formal, but the food is still noteworthy. They make no secret of the fact that they do not use frozen ingredients as they do not own a freezer. The laid-back atmosphere extends to the outdoor seating where most is made of the views across the Santa Rosa sound. Excellent service that even in the land of high standards stood out as exceptional and friendly.

Where to Stay

As one could imagine there is a tremendous choice of accommodation. I stayed across the bay from downtown in the Hampton Inn Pensacola Beach. This is a no-frills functional hotel but as you could imagine is based right on the beach. In fact, it has a beach at the front and a beach at the back!  Rooms next April start from around $200 per night

Do Not Miss-

Water, water everywhere / Nor any drop to drink - well don't drink it, go to Garden and Grain instead for that, but do take a trip on the briny. There are lots of opportunities to do so be it a dolphin watch experience, fishing or just a cruise around the bay waters. I was lucky enough to take sail and given the nature of the waters and the prevailing winds it is an ideal location to break out your Sir Ben Ainslie persona. In fact, it was so good that one of Ben's America's cup rivals, American Magic from the NYC Yacht Club, was out testing a brand-new yacht. What a treat, as was Pensacola Graham was sponsored by Visit Florida, Hertz  and Visit Pensacola