Orlando Tourism: 12x ROAS for 2026 Campaigns

Visit Orlando’s partnership with Azul Airlines for the “Orlando Magical Gateway” campaign stands as a compelling case study in effective tourism marketing, particularly in driving demand from international markets. This collaboration, launched in early 2025 and running through the first quarter of 2026, aimed to re-establish Orlando as a premier vacation destination for Brazilian travelers, capitalizing on renewed flight capacities and a strengthened exchange rate. The strategy was not merely about increasing awareness. It was carefully designed to convert interest directly into bookings, illustrating a sophisticated approach to airline partnerships.

Campaign Strategy: Reconnecting with the Brazilian Market

The core strategy behind “Orlando Magical Gateway” was a multi-pronged digital offensive, designed to reach potential travelers at various stages of their decision-making process. Orlando has long held a special appeal for Brazilian families, but economic shifts and travel restrictions during the early 2020s had impacted visitation. This campaign sought to rekindle that connection by highlighting new attractions, unique dining experiences beyond the theme parks, and the convenience of Azul’s direct flight routes from major Brazilian cities like São Paulo and Campinas. We identified a significant opportunity in the latent demand, understanding that Brazilians often plan their international trips months in advance. The campaign’s objective was clear: increase direct flight bookings to Orlando via Azul Airlines by 20% and generate a minimum 8x return on ad spend (ROAS) within the campaign period. Our initial budget allocation was $850,000 for the 15-month duration.

Targeting and Audience Segmentation

The campaign employed a highly granular approach to audience segmentation. We focused on Brazilians aged 25-55, with demonstrated interests in family travel, theme parks, shopping, and luxury experiences, residing in high-income urban centers. Data from Nielsen’s 2025 Global Consumer Insights Report on travel behaviors in South America provided important insights into preferred booking channels and content consumption habits, indicating a strong preference for video content and peer recommendations when planning vacations. Segments included:

• Family Planners: Parents with children under 16, actively researching family-friendly activities.
• Luxury Seekers: Individuals or couples interested in premium dining, shopping, and resort stays.
• Frequent Fliers: Azul Fidelidade members with a history of international travel.

Geographic targeting concentrated on metropolitan areas such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte, using IP data and mobile location services.

Creative Approach: Evoking Emotion and Practicality

The creative assets were developed to resonate deeply with the Brazilian audience. Visuals emphasized joyful family moments, lively theme park experiences, and picturesque Orlando field, moving beyond just rollercoasters to show the city’s diverse offerings. A key creative direction involved short-form video testimonials from Brazilian influencers who had recently visited Orlando, sharing authentic experiences. These videos, typically 15 to 30 seconds, performed exceptionally well on Meta platforms and TikTok, achieving an average view-through rate (VTR) of 78%. One particularly effective creative series, “Orlando: Sua Próxima História” (Orlando: Your Next Story), used narrative arcs to illustrate how different families could create unique memories. This series directly addressed common traveler concerns like ease of planning and value for money, intertwining emotional appeal with practical information about flight deals and package options.

Execution and Channel Mix

The media mix was heavily weighted towards digital channels, reflecting the target audience’s media consumption habits.

Channel Allocation and Performance:

• Programmatic Video (40% of budget): Delivered through platforms like Google Display & Video 360, targeting travel intent signals and demographic data. This channel generated 25 million impressions and a click-through rate (CTR) of 0.85%. Our programmatic video efforts focused on premium inventory across travel-related websites and apps.
• Social Media (20% of budget): Primarily Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and TikTok. This channel was instrumental for influencer collaborations and highly engaging visual content. It yielded 30 million impressions and a CTR of 1.2%, with significant engagement rates (likes, shares, comments) averaging 5%.
• Paid Search (15% of budget): Google Ads campaigns targeting high-intent keywords such as “voos para Orlando Azul,” “pacotes Orlando Brasil,” and “férias em Orlando.” This channel consistently delivered the lowest cost per click (CPC) at $0.45 and a conversion rate of 5.5%.
• Native Advertising (15% of budget): Platforms like Taboola and Outbrain, distributing content pieces that explored Orlando’s attractions and travel tips. This drove significant traffic to our microsite, with a CTR of 0.6% and a cost per lead (CPL) of $4.10.
• Email Marketing (10% of budget): Using Azul’s existing customer database and leads generated from other channels. This proved highly effective for nurturing leads and driving direct bookings, with an average open rate of 28% and a click-to-open rate of 12%.

Dedicated Microsite and User Experience

A central component of the campaign was a dedicated microsite, “OrlandoMagicalGateway.com.br,” co-branded by Visit Orlando and Azul Airlines. This site was designed for smooth user experience, offering:

• Dynamic Flight Search: Integrated directly with Azul’s booking engine, allowing users to check real-time flight availability and prices.
• Personalized Itineraries: Tools for users to build their own Orlando itineraries based on interests (e.g., “adventure,” “relaxation,” “shopping”).
• Rich Content: High-quality images, 360-degree videos of attractions, and blog posts about hidden gems in Orlando.

The microsite’s intuitive design and direct integration with Azul’s booking system were critical. We observed that users who interacted with the personalized itinerary builder spent 3x longer on the site and had a 25% higher conversion rate to flight search.

Metrics and Optimization: A Data-Driven Approach

The initial campaign launch saw promising but not exceptional results. Our first month’s data showed a cost per acquisition (CPA) of $75 for a flight booking, with a CPL of $3.15 for qualified leads (email sign-ups, brochure downloads). The overall ROAS stood at 6x. While good, it was below our ambitious 8x target. This necessitated immediate, continuous optimization.

What Worked Well:

• Programmatic Video: The strategic placement and compelling narratives led to high engagement. Video completion rates for 15-second ads averaged 82%, indicating strong audience retention. This channel alone contributed to 40% of all generated leads.
• Influencer Marketing on Social Media: The authenticity of Brazilian travel influencers sharing their Orlando experiences resonated deeply. One campaign with a popular family travel blogger generated 5,000 direct link clicks to the microsite within 48 hours, at a CPL of $1.80.
• Dedicated Microsite: The smooth integration with Azul’s booking system and the rich, localized content proved invaluable. The average time on site was 3 minutes 45 seconds, significantly higher than industry benchmarks for travel campaigns.

Challenges and What Didn’t Work as Expected:

• Initial Banner Ad Performance: Standard display banner ads in the first month had a low CTR (0.2%) and high CPL ($6.50). This was quickly identified as an area for improvement. We found that static banners, even with strong calls to action, simply weren’t cutting through the noise compared to video and native formats.
• Broad Keyword Targeting in Paid Search: Early paid search efforts included some broader keywords that, while generating clicks, resulted in lower conversion rates. For instance, “Orlando travel” was too general and attracted users not yet ready to book.
• Landing Page Friction: The initial flight search form on the microsite required too many steps. Users were dropping off before completing their search.

Optimization Steps Taken:

• Creative Refresh and A/B Testing: We rapidly iterated on banner ad creatives, shifting from static images to animated GIFs and short video snippets. A/B testing revealed that creatives featuring specific Orlando neighborhoods or lesser-known attractions (e.g., “Winter Park’s charming streets”) performed better than generic theme park imagery for certain segments. We also refined our video ad messaging, incorporating more direct calls to action and highlighting specific flight deals.
• Paid Search Refinement: We narrowed our keyword strategy, focusing on long-tail, high-intent keywords like “voos diretos Azul Orlando” and “passagens aéreas Orlando com crianças.” Negative keywords were aggressively added to filter out irrelevant searches. This adjustment dropped our CPC by 15% and boosted our conversion rate by 2 percentage points.
• Microsite UI/UX Enhancements: Based on heatmaps and user session recordings, we simplified the flight search form, reducing the number of required fields and adding autofill functionalities. This simple change led to an 18% increase in conversion rate from microsite visit to flight search completion. We also introduced a live chat feature to address immediate user queries, which improved engagement.

Results and Impact

By the end of the campaign’s 15-month run in Q1 2026, the “Orlando Magical Gateway” initiative had significantly surpassed its objectives.

• Total Impressions: Over 120 million across all digital channels.
• Total Leads Generated: 270,000 qualified leads at an average CPL of $2.20.
• Direct Flight Bookings via Azul: Increased by 28% compared to the pre-campaign period.
• Overall ROAS: A remarkable 12x return on ad spend, significantly exceeding the 8x target. This translates to $10.2 million in direct booking revenue generated from the $850,000 investment.
• Cost Per Conversion (flight booking): Reduced from an initial $75 to $45.

The collaboration with Azul Airlines not only drove direct bookings but also strengthened Orlando’s brand perception in Brazil, positioning it as an accessible and diverse destination. This success shows the power of strong airline partnerships in tourism, where shared objectives and integrated marketing efforts create a synergistic effect. It also highlights the importance of continuous data analysis and agile optimization in achieving superior campaign performance.

Conclusion

The “Orlando Magical Gateway” campaign demonstrates that deep market understanding, precise targeting, and dynamic creative execution are essential for successful international tourism marketing. Future campaigns must continue to embrace data-driven optimization and smooth user experiences to convert interest into tangible bookings.