Imagining Miami in a Myriad of Ways Will Help Increase Sales

Many of your cruise clients have probably embarked from Miami on sailings around the Caribbean Sea and beyond, and perhaps you booked them for a one-night stay either pre- or post-cruise. If they liked what they saw, then they are ripe for having a whole world of experiences opened to them to warrant much longer stays in Greater Miami and Miami Beach. And if your clients have never been to the area but would like the convenience of seeing and doing a fascinating variety of things domestically and all in one place, then you will serve them well by learning about this destination filled with outdoor fun, art, history, great food, nightlife and a variety of cultures.

The city of Miami is a hub of water activity, where vacationers will find everything from pirate ship expeditions to thrilling speedboat rides to leisurely sailings past waterfront homes of the rich and famous. Many of these excursions leave from the city's marinas as well as Bayside Marketplace, where visitors can also enjoy casual dining and free outdoor concerts day and night year-round. Other outdoor activities include open-top, hop-on hop-off bus tours, and reopening soon is Jungle Island, a zoological park where some of the world's rarest and most exotic animals reside.

For more outdoor fun, have your clients venture over to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Coconut Grove to stroll through the stunning gardens of a Mediterranean Revival-style villa, or to Doral for golfing in sunny splendor. Or suggest that they truly immerse themselves in nature by heading to the Fruit & Spice Park in South Dade, a fragrant subtropical paradise overflowing with local citrus varieties as well as exotic fruits, herbs, spices and nuts from around the world. Or consider boating or fishing in Biscayne National Park.

Perhaps the most famous among the destination's already well-known beaches, South Beach is where to find colorful Art Deco buildings and a fun party vibe emanating from its wonderful restaurants and bars during the day and especially at night. But the destination's coastline is dotted with all sorts of beaches, such as Bal Harbour with its elegant serenity and laidback Sunny Isles Beach with its volleyball areas, family-friendly parks, clothing-optional beach and fishing pier. There's a beach for every personality!

Greater Miami is home to renowned art museums and galleries, but here art can be experienced in many ways, whether on a walking tour of Downtown Miami's splendid buildings or of South Beach's Art Deco architecture, at an arts festival in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove, or on walks to view the famous street art of Wynwood. And then there's the Design District, where, in addition to galleries, art comes to life through fashion and home decor, and where shopping is a must!

A gateway welcoming people from all over the world, the Miami area embodies the influences of immigrants most notably from Cuba and other places in the Caribbean and South America, as well as from Europe and Africa. The architecturally noteworthy Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami is a tribute to Cuban refugees during the Cold War, and visitors can learn more about the wider immigrant experience at the HistoryMiami Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian.

Greater Miami's neighborhoods are living tributes to its immigrants' cultural legacies, as well as simply being fun places to hang out. Recommend that your clients explore Little Havana by sampling Cuban delicacies in its cafes, sipping a fruit batido (smoothie) while strolling through its colorful streets, visiting a cigar factory or taking in Latin music at its bars and lounges. The third Friday of each month brings a festival to SW Eighth Street showcasing the neighborhood's art, music and culture. Meanwhile, Little Haiti is alive with folk dancing, crafts like screen printing, and film, music and literary events, as well as great restaurants serving authentic Haitian cuisine.

Historic Overtown is not only filled with monuments to the cultural contributions of Black artists and political leaders, but it also continues to play a vital role in the community today as a hub for shopping, dining and entertainment. Visitors can see where Aretha Franklin, Count Basie and B.B. King performed, visit the church where Martin Luther King, Jr. met with political leaders and tour the nation's first Black police precinct and courthouse, now a museum. The restaurants in Overtown are sure to delight, often showcasing soul food both traditional and with modern twists on smoked ribs, chicken wings, shrimp and crab.

Greater Miami's nightlife can be just as varied as its daytime attractions, though visitors will probably find the biggest selection of international restaurants in Downtown Miami/Brickell as well as after-dinner places such as martini bars and rooftop bars, and jazz lounges and nightclubs - to name a few. Little Havana also has a great nighttime music scene, while South Beach and Wynwood are especially welcoming of the LGBTQ community.

Although this slideshow covers more than a week's worth of things to do and see in Greater Miami and Miami Beach, there are still more neighborhoods, beaches and attractions that will appeal to a wide variety of clients. In the Greater Miami Travel Specialist Program, created in partnership with Travel Agent Academy, you can learn so much more about the destination, as well as details on topics like accommodations and transportation, to put together pre- and post-cruise stays or vacations lasting one week or more. Click here to enroll in the program and start imagining Miami in a myriad of ways!