TORONTO — Kissimmee’s well-earned title as the Vacation Home Capital of the World is right on trend with today’s travellers, offering a ‘home away from home’ with plenty of opportunity for local experiences. Best of all, Kissimmee’s vacation homes are commissionable.

“We want to be relevant in the travel industry and we’re proud to have these vacation homes as a product and also because it’s a new trend,” says Juliana Leveroni, Media Relations Director with Experience Kissimmee.

“Before, people would travel primarily to see new places. Now it’s more about enjoying time together and having shared experiences.”

At last night’s Experience Kissimmee event, hosted by VoX International, Suite 1500 at 1 King West hotel in Toronto was decked out to show off just how lovely, cozy and convenient a home-away-from-home experience can be. The venue space offered a dining area, living space, bedroom and bathroom, all with Kissimmee attraction décor, of course.

The Florida destination’s vacation homes range from one-bedroom studios and two-bedroom condos, all the way up to 15-bedroom mansions complete with a lazy river, bowling alley and multiple pools.

Many of the homes partner with local hotels and resorts, to offer familiar hotel-style check in, key retrieval and amenities like restaurants. The convenience of vacation homes facilitates home cooking but a quick meal at a hotel clubhouse can come in handy.

Kissimmee has more than 22,000 vacation homes and while they’re individually owned, they work with a property management pool to coordinate the back-end arrangements, including commission for agents.

The destination’s vacation home inventory has grown 400% in five years, adds Leveroni.

Vacation homes work especially well for longer stays – and by ‘longer stay’, she means anything seven nights and up. The versatility of this accommodation option means everyone in the family can relax and vacation in their own way. “If a family member wants to chill while everyone else explores, that’s very easy with a vacation home.” The extra space also means that families, especially with lots of kids, have plenty of space to stretch out.

Experience Kissimmee’s hotel and attraction partners, including Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld, make Kissimmee a family favourite year in and year out. There are also plenty of cultural options and eco-tourism diversions. “If you go to Florida to see the real Florida, go see the swamps, see the alligators, see where the Everglades begin,” says Leveroni.

For more details see ExperienceKissimmee.com.