Share a Little Sunshine Campaign Re-Launching Today

Today in Miami, Governor Crist helped re-launch the Share a Little Sunshine campaign. The Florida tourism industry challenges all Floridians to do just that---Share a Little Sunshine.

The video below tells you why and more details are listed below. To learn more about the campaign and to send an invitation, visit http://www.sharealittlesunshine.org/.

Share a Little Sunshine---The cause? Helping our state's economy by helping encourage tourism - an industry responsible for a million Florida jobs and about a fifth of the state's economy.

How can you help? Send a postcard or invitation to friends or family. It's as easy as that. Each invitation carries with it a special discount or offer - to friends and family of Floridians. So you're not only sharing Florida sunshine, you're also sharing Florida opportunities.

What's in for you? When you love Florida, Florida loves you back. In addition to helping your own state's economy, we'll thank you by entering you to win a Sunshine vacation.

It's really simple. When you send an invitation, the person you invite gets your invitation plus a special offer. You get entered for a chance to win a Florida vacation, and Florida's economy may benefit from another visitor.

Your passport to safe travel

Literally millions of people travel every single day throughout the United States and the world.

Whether for business or pleasure, people are increasingly becoming more and more comfortable in the role of 'traveler'. Regrettably, from time to time we hear that visitor and travelers fall victim to a crime or other misfortune. By most measure, the Treasure Coast is a safe visitor destination. Being a relatively 'un-urban' destination, the Treasure Coast typically does not see the level of crime that may be found in more urban destinations.

What can you do decrease the possibility that you will be victimized during your travels? Well this week, Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors discuss this important topic. In the studio this week, Laura Passanesi, a community programs practitioner & volunteer coordinator for the Martin County Sheriff's Office, will discuss ways to help minimize the chances of becoming a victim of a crime during travels.

Here are some sample tips:

(1) Don't wear name tags in public.
(2) When traveling by car, back into your parking space to facilitate a quick exit.
(3) Do not flash your passport in public. Discretely show important documents to officials.
(4) If traveling with children, bring along an updated photo of each child in the event you become separated.
(5) In a taxi, sit behind the driver so you can see him but he cannot see you.

In addition to tourist safety tips, Gary and Robin will cover Treasure Coast and State of Florida tourism news, including the position of the Surf Rider Foundation’s position on the possibility of oil drilling off Florida’s coasts.

Friday's (November 12) show promises to be lively and informative. Tune in at 10 a.m. (WPSL 1590 AM on your radio dial or http://www.wpls.com/ via your computer) and take a one hour 'staycation' with Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast!

What's Tourism have to do with Bootlegging and Oil Rigs

OCTOBER 30 SHOW SUMMARY

The Real McCoy Rum Runner Party to celebrate the grand opening of the Maritime and Classic Boat Museum (formally known as the Maritime and Yachting Museum for Florida) spawned a conversation between Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors about the real 'Real McCoy' and his legend on the Treasure Coast as a fisherman and part-time bootlegger/rum runner. There were some amazing and interesting tidbits of info tht can be very useful at a cocktail party this Season.

Anne Schmidt, chairperson for the Real McCoy Rum Runner planning committee and Allison Partin, a committee member specializing in recruiting local restaurants to provide samples of their specialties at events, described what is going to be a great event. The party takes place at Indian Riverside Park on Friday, November 13, begins at 6:30 p.m. and will "last until the rum has run out!" (That's the official wording straight from the postcard invitation!)

After the rum talk, the discussion turned to tourism's impact upon the Treasure Coast community. Host Gary Guertin expressed his opinion on whether the local community truly really appreciates and understands the importance of the tourism industry or not.

A few statewide issues surfaced during the hour. Not pleased that Florida is considering allowing the drilling for oil on the state's west coast? Then you may want to learn about 'Hands Across The Sands,' a grassroots effort fighting the drilling initiative. Next, listeners learned what has 1,094 brand new guest rooms and sits directly in the middle of International Drive in Orlando. If you missed the October 30 show, you can download and listen to it HERE.

Coming up this week, tune in to find out if Francis Langford aka 'History Lady' was a smash at the Meet Me at the USO party in downtown Stuart on Halloween night. Until then, be safe, have fun, and enjoy life and living on Florida’s beautiful Treasure Coast!