For the first time in VISIT FLORIDA history, a leader from Northwest Florida and the Vacation Rental Management industry is taking the lead as the new 2018-2019 Chair of the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors. Lino Maldonado has had a notable presence in the hospitality and tourism industry, beginning his journey in 1996, and his contributions throughout his 22 years have made him the industry standard on state and local levels.
“As we move into a new year, I cannot think of a better chair than Lino Maldonado, who brings years of experience and extensive travel industry knowledge to his new leadership position with VISIT FLORIDA,” said Ken Lawson, the company’s president and CEO.
As one of the six appointees on the Gulf Consortium, he was entrusted in helping structure Florida’s expenditure plan for settlement funds from the 2010 BP Gulf oil spill. His focus on growth and innovation was a key factor as a founding member of Coastal Vision 3000, which helped guide the first low cost air carrier, Southwest Airlines, to Northwest Florida. Most recently he was the recipient of the 2018 Van Ness Butler, Jr. Hospitality Award, which is bestowed annually to a community member for “excellence in hospitality, service, travel and tourism, advertising, promotion, and contributions to the local community.”
With VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism not-for-profit marketing corporation, Maldonado plans to utilize his time as the new chair to zero in on efforts to build upon the achievements of VISIT FLORIDA and advance the state’s tourism industry to new heights. Upon receiving the news, he had this to say:
“It is an absolute honor to serve as the 2018 Chair of VISIT FLORIDA. Our greatest strengths as an industry are awareness and engagement. Every associate at every level should not only understand their individual role in hospitality, but also how important their role is to deliver a great experience to more than 115 million visitors that come to Florida each year.”
He goes further on to say, “Let our passion be contagious, so everyone on the spectrum understands why VISIT FLORIDA exists, feels connected, enthused and is excited about being a part of an industry that is bigger than any one of us.”
In his present position as Vice President of Operations, Growth, and Innovation at Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Maldonado leads business development and ownership strategy across North America. As part of the Wyndham Destinations family of brands, he notes that vacation rentals haven’t begun to “scratch the surface of their popularity.” Under his direction at VISIT FLORIDA, Maldonado believes the hospitality and tourism field is ripe for a successful balance between growth and creating a memorable experience for visitors and residents alike. This “Count on Me” standard is exactly what sets our teams apart at ResortQuest. We take the work out of owning a vacation home and go beyond simply connecting travelers to their homestay — we make it an experience.
