Visit Orlando partners with Orlando Health to launch health and wellness support for travel and tourism industry

Orlando, FL (August 23, 2022) – Visit Orlando, the Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, and Orlando Health, a not-for-profit healthcare organization that serves the southeastern United States, have joined forces to create a unique partnership. The new alliance designates Orlando Health as the Official Health and Wellness Partner of Visit Orlando and offers health-related benefits for the millions of visitors who help make Orlando the most visited destination in the United States and Theme Park Capital of the World.

“This new partnership allows us to seamlessly connect both leisure guests and meetings groups with Orlando Health’s medical experts to make healthy travel more accessible,” said Casandra Matej, president & chief executive officer, Visit Orlando. “Orlando has been a leader in healthy meetings for the past several years and with Orlando Health as our official Health and Wellness Partner, we are elevating the service and resources we provide groups to ensure Orlando remains a top choice for meetings and events.”

“Orlando Health has been integral in helping to support our travel and tourism industry throughout the pandemic and beyond,” said Thibaut van Marcke, senior vice president of Orlando Health’s southeast region. “This new alliance with Visit Orlando reinforces our commitment to provide high quality health-related options and medical services to the millions of travelers who visit our area and to an industry that is vital to our community and our state.”

Through the partnership, tourists and Visit Orlando member organizations may call a newly-established concierge telephone number for access to visitor-specific wellness tips and individualized health resources. That number is 321-265-4200. The line was created to help connect visitors who may need access to local medical resources such as emergency care, urgent care or even access to a virtual visit while visiting Orlando. For additional information, visit www.orlandohealth.com/visitorlando.  

The partnership provides for event planners customizable health solutions for their conference and attendees through an Orlando Health Virtual Care Center, which will open later this year at the Orange County Convention Center. Located in the west concourse on the first floor near the Visit Orlando Welcome Center, medical providers will be available via virtual visit 24 hours a day. During major conventions, the clinic will be staffed by Orlando Health clinicians.

Visit Orlando member organizations and the tourism community will further benefit from the alliance through a website located at www.visitorlando.com/orlandohealth. There, they will find health and wellness information on a variety of topics relevant to visitors and local residents including tips on hydration, how to stay sun-safe and instructions on what to do in an emergency.

The partnership is an evolution of Orlando Health’s Business Ready initiative. Launched in May 2020, Business Ready was introduced to help the community, including the travel and tourism industry, to be prepared for reopening post COVID-19. It included a resource website for businesses and organizations as they prepared to resume business.

About Visit Orlando 

Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association^® for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States, Theme Park Capital of the World and No. 1 meeting destination in the country. A not-for-profit trade association that brands, markets and sells the Orlando destination globally, we represent more than 1,200 member companies comprising every segment of Central Florida’s tourism community. Visit Orlando connects consumers and business groups with all facets of Orlando’s travel community, whether for a vacation or meeting. Home to seven of the world’s top theme parks — as well as refreshing water parks, activities to connect with nature, vibrant neighborhoods, a dynamic dining scene with Michelin recognized restaurants, and a robust calendar of entertainment and sports events — Orlando is a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community for all travelers. Find more information at VisitOrlando.com or OrlandoMeeting.com. 

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with $8 billion of assets under management that serves the southeastern United States.

Founded more than 100 years ago, the healthcare system is recognized around the world for Central Florida’s only pediatric and adult Level One Trauma program as well as the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in the St. Petersburg region. It is the home of the nation’s largest neonatal intensive care unit under one roof, the only system in the southeast to offer open fetal surgery to repair the most severe forms of spina bifida, the site of an Olympic athlete training facility and operator of one of the largest and highest performing clinically integrated networks in the region. Orlando Health has pioneered life-changing medical research and its Graduate Medical Education program hosts more than 350 residents and fellows. The 3,200-bed system includes 10 award-winning hospitals, 9 hospital based ERs, and 7 free-standing emergency rooms; rehabilitation services, cancer and heart institutes, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, physician offices for adults and pediatrics, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with FastMed Urgent Care. More than 4,200 physicians, representing more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs more than 23,000 team members. In FY21, Orlando Health served more than 160,000 inpatients and 3.6 million outpatients. During that same time period, Orlando Health provided approximately $648 million in total value to the communities it serves in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more. Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @orlandohealth.