TALLAHASSEE — VISIT ******* has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) asking for submissions from established PR, travel trade, sales and marketing firms, specializing in the travel and hospitality sector, to serve as the state’s agency of record in the North American market.

The RFP calls for submissions from PR businesses in the U.S. and Canada, and travel trade, sales and marketing businesses in Canada.

VISIT ******* says proposals can be submitted in the following formats:

• Consolidated bids for all services (proposal covering U.S. & Canada PR; Canada travel trade, sales & marketing)
• Individual bids for any one or any combination of the following:
  • U.S. public relations
  • Canada public relations
  • Canada travel trade, sales & marketing

The selected agency or agencies will work in tandem with the VISIT ******* team in promoting ******* to U.S. and Canadian travellers as a top leisure and meetings travel destination.

The qualified agency or agencies will also help oversee the corporation’s research-based PR strategy, develop strategic, highly-integrated creative campaigns, lead the charge for media and influencer relations. It will also work to ensure that *******’s messages remain top-of-mind amongst key audience segments through outreach with the media.

The selected agency or agencies will also promote ******* tourism through travel trade channels and be responsible for product development and promotion in collaboration with key tour operators/wholesalers, retail travel agencies, online travel agencies, airlines, traditional and non-traditional industry suppliers, and other distribution intermediaries.

The agency or agencies will also assist with planning and ********* of VISIT ******* events in Canada to fulfill VISIT ******* sales and marketing objectives.

VISIT ******* says agencies interested in submitting a proposal can learn more on how to do so through this link. The deadline for submission is no later than 5 p.m. (EST) on Feb. 20, 2019.