Community Excellence, Record-Breaking Tourism, and Miss America Spotlight Celebrated at Travel Rally Day in The Palm Beaches

Local Community Awards Presented, Q1 2026 Visitation Records Announced, and
Miss America Names The Palm Beaches Its New Home

Editor’s note: High-res photos and photo ID captions can be found here.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – May 7, 2026 – Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County, proudly celebrated the power of travel and tourism at its annual Travel Rally Day, held in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week. The event brought together community leaders, industry partners and residents to recognize outstanding local contributions to tourism, announce record‑breaking first quarter visitation milestones, and highlight a major business coup for the destination with the Miss America Organization selecting The Palm Beaches as its new home.

At the event, DTPB President and CEO Milton Segarra, CDME, announced that The Palm Beaches welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors from January through March 2026, marking the highest first‑quarter visitation on record. This represents a 9.4% increase compared to the same time period in 2025, reaffirming the destination’s strong momentum amid the current global travel environment.

The destination recorded strong gains in high‑value domestic markets from the first quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026, including over 11% year‑over‑year growth from Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, approximately 10% growth from New York and Atlanta, and significant increases from Texas markets that DTPB’s has been focusing its marketing efforts on recently, with Dallas up nearly 32% and Houston up more than 17%. International visitation also rose over the same time period, led by Brazil (+13.5%), the UK (+12.4%), and Colombia (+27.8%), while a modest 2% decline from Canada remained below national trends, underscoring the destination’s overall resilience.

“These results reinforce that momentum in The Palm Beaches is real and resilient,” noted Segarra. “Tourism is a cornerstone of our local economy and quality of life and place. The strength of our brand, combined with consistent leadership and strong partnerships, continues to deliver meaningful impact for residents.”

Honoring Local Excellence and Community Impact

The central focus of Travel Rally Day is recognizing the organizations and partners whose leadership and commitment have helped strengthen the destination and its communities.

During the event, DTPB presented its prestigious 34th Annual Providencia Award, the organization’s highest honor recognizing extraordinary contributions to the vitality and prosperity of The Palm Beaches. This year’s recipient was Visit Palm Beach, a locally founded experiential tours company, celebrating 30 years of specializing in connecting visitors and residents to the region’s waterways and outdoor lifestyle.

Additional honors included the DTPB Partner of the Year Awards, recognizing outstanding collaboration and impact across the visitor economy:

• Accommodation Partner of the Year: The Belgrove
• Non‑Accommodation Partner of the Year: Alpha Transportation Services

DTPB also recognized excellence in hospitality and destination stewardship through the Certified Tourism Ambassador™ (CTA) Program, including:

• Certified Tourism Ambassador™ of the Year: Lorrayne Kirby
• Certified Tourism Ambassador™ Business of the Year: Four Seasons Palm Beach

“These awards reflect the heart of our success,” Segarra added. “The tourism economy is strong here because of the people, organizations and partners who care deeply about this community and the experiences we share with visitors and residents alike.”

A National Stage: Miss America Selects The Palm Beaches as New Home

Travel Rally Day also marked a defining moment for the destination as the Miss America Organization officially announced The Palm Beaches as the new host location for the Miss America Competition over the next three years.

Beginning in 2026, the iconic competition will be held in America’s First Resort Destination®, with events staged at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, and the Hilton West Palm Beach. The multi‑year agreement positions The Palm Beaches as the home of one of the nation’s most enduring platforms for women’s leadership, service and scholarship.

The 2026 competition will commemorate 105 years of Miss America, culminating in the crowning of the 99th Miss America on September 6, 2026.

“The Palm Beaches represent vision, momentum and possibility, and we are incredibly proud to call the destination the new home of Miss America,” said Robin Fleming, CEO of the Miss America Organization. “It’s a place where women’s voices, ambition and achievement can truly take center stage.”

The announcement underscores The Palm Beaches’ evolution into a destination capable of hosting world‑class, nationally recognized events that generate year‑round economic impact while aligning with community values.

New Resident-Focused Campaign: Tourism Shines in The Palm Beaches

Travel Rally Day also launched the Tourism Shines in The Palm Beaches campaign, DTPB’s new community‑focused initiative designed to highlight how tourism supports local jobs, small businesses and quality of life for residents across the area.

Tourism remains one of The Palm Beaches’ leading industries, supporting nearly 95,000 local jobs and generating $11.6 billion in annual economic impact.

“When tourism thrives, our community shines,” emphasized Segarra. “This growth is about stewardship, balance and ensuring tourism works for everyone who calls The Palm Beaches home.”

###

About Discover The Palm Beaches

Discover The Palm Beaches is the tourism marketing organization for the collection of 39 cities and towns known as The Palm Beaches in Southeast Florida, stretching from Boca Raton to Jupiter. Tasked with growing visitation and the local tourism economy, the organization works year-round to bring travelers to Palm Beach County. The Palm Beaches have a rich history as America’s First Resort Destination®, where genuine hospitality is a way of life among a vibrant and welcoming blend of people, cultures, and coastal towns. Tourism is among the county’s major industries, generating an annual economic impact of $11.6 billion and supporting nearly 95,000 local jobs. For more information about The Palm Beaches, visit www.ThePalmBeaches.com or follow on social media on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, Threads, Pinterest and LinkedIn.