In the News - February 2025

State of Hospitality & Tourism Explores Industry Trends

On Thursday, February 6, CFHLA partnered with CareerSource Central Florida and STR to host our second annual State of Hospitality & Tourism at the Caribe Royale Orlando.

With more than 350 in attendance, this regional economic forum brought together industry and community leaders, elected officials and news media for an in-depth analysis of the current economic impact, market and workforce trends (including recently updated wages, benefits, demographics, etc.), and share local forecasts for the Central Florida hospitality and tourism industry.

The event featured presentations by Nilda Blanco, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives with CareerSource Central Florida, and Isaac Collazo, Vice President of Analytics with STR.

Here are the top five key takeaways:

As the largest employer in our region, nearly 80% of all Central Florida’s occupations are now tied to the leisure and tourism industry. This is a significant opportunity to challenge how we look at careers in the industry and highlight different career paths and non-traditional roles.
Contrary to some perceptions, 90% of job postings are for full-time roles within the industry, which has created numerous opportunities for long-term career paths.
The industry’s wages are very competitive and a launchpad for career advancement. The average entry level wage within the Central Florida hotel and lodging industry is $39,000, which is well above the average Central Florida entry level wage of $31,000. Many positions come with competitive wages, benefits and clear pathways for professional development.
Data shows the market is strong in Central Florida but still recovering from the peak level of visitors staying at our properties in 2019.
There is cautious optimism that 2025 will have stronger demand and growth than 2024, with the opening of new attractions, accommodations, etc.

We look forward to continuing in the spirit of collaboration with our community partners, to strengthen the future outlook of the Central Florida hospitality and tourism industry.

CFHLA Celebrates 2024 at Festive Hospitality Gala

Thank you to the more than 1,000 members, sponsors and community partners who attended our 2024 CFHLA Hospitality Gala, presented by Orlando Health and Xpodigital on December 14th, at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.

This year, CFHLA celebrated and honored our 2024 award winners. Congratulations again to the following 2024 recipients:

Charles Andrews Memorial Hospitality Award for Community Leadership:

Mark Woodbury Chairman & CEO, Universal Destinations & Experiences(UDX)

Lodging Member of the Year: Jorg Heyer, Vice President of Operations,

Marriott Vacations Worldwide

Allied Member of the Year: Linda Grier Hanson, Owner & Managing Director

Greenery Productions, Inc.

Engineer of the Year: Christopher Chosay, Director of Engineering,

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

PAC Board Member of the Year: Jacqueline Bozzuto, Co-Chair of Hospitality & Leisure, Lowndes

CFHLA also honored our 2024 Legends Hall of Fame recipients at a reception at the Gala.

Additionally, we announced the 2025 CFHLA Executive Committee, along with our re-elected and newly elected/appointed 2025 CFHLA Board of Directors.

Also, congratulations to our $4,000 Holiday Cash Raffle Winner, Trevor Dasch with Yes Hotel Services! Trevor generously donating the $4,000 cash prize to the CFHLA Foundation and the Gives Program, which supports our local students pursuing careers in our hospitality and tourism industry with a much needed scholarship.

Thank you to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket, as 100% of the proceeds went to the CFHLA Foundation, which donates to causes that advance hospitality and tourism initiatives, youth-related initiatives, and community advocacy.

Thank you to everyone who donated sneakers and socks for our final CFHLA Cares Collection Drive of 2024. Thanks to your generous donations, we collected more than 1,000 pairs of socks and shoes, which will be donated to students in need throughout Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties.

Lastly, CFHLA would like to thank Barb Bowden, Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, for her strong and steady leadership while serving as the 2024 Chair of the CFHLA Board of Directors . We are extremely grateful for her dedication and commitment to the success of the association. We also welcome our 2025 Board Chair, Chris Mueller, General Manager, Hilton Orlando who began his tenure on January 1, 2025.

Congratulations to Our 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees

CFHLA offers our warmest congratulations to our 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees. Every three years, CFHLA honors our former and retired allied and lodging hospitality professionals, who have played an instrumental leadership role and made a substantial impact on the transformation of the organization. Additionally, each one of these "Legends" has helped with the advancement of the entire Central Florida Hospitality Industry.

The 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees include:

Jeff Brinda

(formerly of) Sheraton Orlando Downtown

Jay Hunt (posthumously)

(formerly of) Massey Services, Inc.

Louis Robbins

(formerly of) Key Performance Hospitality Management

Ron Silveira

(formerly of) F.P.I.S., Inc., Distribution & Marketing Solutions

For more information on each of our 2024 CFHLA Legends Honorees, please CLICK HERE.