Are you feeling the chill? Getting the itch to escape the snow? Feeling the winter blahs? Craving sunshine? Well, as millions of Canadians have discovered, Florida state is where you need to head for that blissful break. Now, commuters in Toronto will have a ray of sunshine brought their way by means of the latest Florida marketing campaign. VISIT FLORIDA is transporting Torontonians to the warmth and sunshine with their “Moments of Sunshine” winter campaign, designed to encourage Canadians to visit Florida, the top winter destination for Canadian’s seeking fun in the sun year-round.

With a shape mirroring the outline of the state of Florida, VISIT FLORIDA has temporarily rebranded the Toronto Transit Commission‘s Line 1 as the “Sunshine Line.” Commuters are immersed in the Sunshine State as nine of the stations along the line feature large murals of expansive Florida imagery, matching each station with a respective Florida destination along the coasts of the state. To tie the Sunshine Line together, an entire subway train for the route is wrapped in vibrant pink and beautiful Florida imagery from January 7-28, 2019. The nine stations include: Finch, St. Clair, College, Dundas, Queen, St. Andrew, Queens Park, Yorkdale and Union.

During the month of January 2019, Florida will be hard to miss at Union Station, as VISIT FLORIDA is executing a complete domination of the TTC concourse. To enhance the campaign, VISIT FLORIDA is bringing an element of surprise and delight to Union Station commuters during the week of Jan. 14-18, 2019. With destination highlights on Amelia Island, Fort Myers and Sanibel Island and Greater Fort Lauderdale, each day will feature a new and different interactive element, as well as fun giveaways.

To further entice travellers to visit the Sunshine State, VISIT FLORIDA is partnering with Expedia to offer travel deals exclusive to Canadians. LoveFlorida.ca hosts more than 100 listings, offering at least a 20 percent discount, with deals on airfare, hotels, attractions and car rentals through March 31, 2019.  The program is designed to eliminate the currency exchange disparity between the U.S. and Canadian Dollar.

Canada is Florida’s No. 1 source of international visitation with more than 3.4 million Canadian visitors in 2017, an increase of four percent over the previous year. With nearly 40 percent of these travelers visiting Florida in the first quarter of the year, January is the best time to remind Canadians to escape the cold and head south to Florida, the perfect warm-weather destination.

VISIT FLORIDA encourages Torontonians to be on the lookout for “Moments of Sunshine” throughout the coldest months of the year. To plan your next holiday getaway or for more information, visit www.LoveFlorida.ca.

Hot LGBT events to put on your calendar include Pride Fort Lauderdale (Feb 21 to 24), and Miami’s Winter Party (Feb 27 to Mar 5).

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist based in Toronto with a focus on tourism, lifestyle, entertainment and community issues. He has written several travel articles and has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He’s willing to take on any assignments of interest, attend parties with free booze, listen to rants, and travel the world in search of the great unknown. He’s eager to discover the new, remember the past, and look into the future.