Orlando: An Ideal Vacation Option

With white-knuckled anticipation, riders brace themselves before the roller coaster plummets at 60 miles per hour down and around the twisting steel rails. Wildlife peer curiously from their habitat as the canoe quietly glides down the river that meanders through the unspoiled backwoods. Two distinctively different vacation options, one very diverse vacation destination - Orlando. The choices don't stop there, though. Regardless of age or vacation wishes, Orlando offers every member of the family a favourite pastime that can be captured forever on film and in fond memories. With more than 114,000 rooms, accommodations range from luxury resorts and themed hotels to economy hotels/motels and campsites. Vacation ownership units, condominiums and houses are also available.

With nearly 52 million square feet of retail space, Orlando is one of the fastest growing retail markets in the United States. The destination offers an astonishing array of shopping options that include everything from the latest in electronics and fashion to fine jewellery and antiques. Outlet centres, flea markets and wholesalers offer great bargains, while themed shopping villages mix retail shops with dining and entertainment for a unique experience. Nine regional malls offer the convenience of having brand name department and speciality stores all under one roof. One would certainly not go hungry with more than 4,500 restaurants that serve up continental and ethnic cuisine in unique settings. There are more than 52 upscale restaurants within a 10-mile (16-kilometre) radius or Orlando's Orange County Convention Centre. Apart from the varied cuisine, the county offers arts and entertainment that ranges from Beethoven to Shakespeare.

Enlightening Excursions

Orlando's numerous year-round art exhibits and cultural diversity add an extra dimension to make Orlando the perfect vacation or meeting destination. From the world's most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and 19th- and 20th-century American art at the Orlando Museum of Art to Eatonville, the nation's oldest incorporated African-American municipality, insightful excursions await Orlando's visitors. Children of all ages can also embark on an exciting expedition at the Orlando Science Centre or relive the early days of Orlando's citrus farming at the Orange County Regional History Centre. There are more than 180 special events annually that range from rodeo performances and celebrity concerts to ethnic festivals and art shows, Orlando has year-round events to please everyone and add more vacation variety.

MICE Trail

Orlando is a world-class meeting destination with a variety of facilities that accommodate small meetings as well as large city-wide conventions and trade shows. Orlando's Orange County Convention Centre is ranked second in the United States in terms of exhibition space with more than 2.1 million square feet (189,000 square meters). The Centre also offers 479,190 square feet (43,127 square meters) of meeting rooms. Orlando Expo Centre features 74,691 square feet (6,722 square meters) of exhibit space and 150,222 square feet (13,520 square meters) of meeting rooms in downtown Orlando. Also, more than 2.9 million square feet (261,000 square meters) of space is available in the area's hotels and cultural venues.

Transportation

The Orlando International Airport is the 16th busiest in the United States and 28th busiest in the world with approximately 700 commercial operations per day. More than 32 scheduled airlines and 11 charters provide non-stop service to 72 US destinations and 13 international cities as well as direct service to more than 100 cities worldwide. Shuttle vans, buses, taxis, and rental cars are readily available. Major highway networks provide easy access for visitors to reach their destinations and for travelling in and around the Greater Orlando area.