2020 Florida Tourism Industry Awards Announced

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 2020 Florida Tourism Hall of Fame inductee is Ed Fouché, a former Disney senior sales executive and two-time Chairman of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors. Fouché has long been a champion of Florida’s tourism industry, leading global efforts for the Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, and Adventures by Disney for nearly 25 years before retiring. During an unprecedented two terms as VISIT FLORIDA Board Chairman, Fouché worked tirelessly to reposition tourism marketing as a legislative priority, and helped lead Florida’s tourism economy to recovery following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Ed’s experience, expertise, and dedication have been essential to the success of Florida’s tourism industry, and the impact of his work continues to enrich the Sunshine State vacation experience today.

“Florida is known across the world for our hospitality and our ability to provide unforgettable vacation experiences. This reputation is due to the hardworking members of our tourism industry who have helped families make memories in the Sunshine State. For nearly 20 years, VISIT FLORIDA has recognized our tourism industry by proudly inducting people who have made a lasting, positive impact on our state’s number one industry. This year’s inductee, Ed Fouché, worked his entire career to ensure that travelers continued to come to Florida and have a wonderful time upon arrival. Congratulations to Ed on this outstanding achievement.” – Dana Young, President and CEO, VISIT FLORIDA

“As someone who has personally worked with Ed, I am proud today to formally induct him into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame on behalf of the entire VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors. Throughout his career, Ed helped make Florida the iconic vacation brand that it is today. With today’s induction, he will rightfully be joining the most iconic names of Florida’s tourism industry, and we are glad to join him in celebrating this achievement.” – Dan Rowe, President and CEO, Visit Panama City Beach and Chairman of VISIT FLORIDA’s 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 2020 Flagler Awards drew entries from Florida’s tourism partners, large and small. Working independently, eleven 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 2020 Flagler Award winners in 18 categories, plus Best in Show at three budget levels, are listed below.

Creativity in Public Relations