A new marketing campaign, "Come Play on our Beaches," debuts today from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB) to promote the area's eight beaches - more than half of which are Blue Wave certified - and highlight the destination's affordable luxury products.

Greater Fort Lauderdale, one of the best known mainland - U.S. destinations to have eight distinctive beaches and beach communities in close proximity to each other and to the destination's many other major attractions, boasts 23 miles of Atlantic Ocean beachfront, running from the northern tip to the southern end and includes:

• Fort Lauderdale Beach, the epitome of beach chic style, yet with a refreshingly low-keyed friendliness that appeals to all walks of life
• Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, most famous as the "shore dive capital of South Florida;"
• Pompano Beach, popular with fans of picnicking, kite surfing and sport-fishing
• Hillsboro Beach, home to a scenic icon, the most powerful lighthouse on the eastern seaboard
• Deerfield Beach, with its casual beachfront eateries is popular with locals and visitors for lunch, dinner, drinks and dancing
• Dania Beach, home to John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, a favorite destination for recreation enthusiasts
• Hollywood, with its retro-cool Broadwalk where visitors can dine in open-air cafes, bike or blade along the brick promenade or swim in the Blue Wave waters
• Hallandale Beach, at the southern end with beautiful beaches, exciting nightlife and outdoor sporting activities including golf, swimming, boating, and salt water fishing

"This campaign is designed to showcase our greatest asset, our beaches, and we are blessed with eight magnificent ones, each with their own appeal," said Nicki E Grossman, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Going to the beach is a top vacation pursuit and we want travelers, whether for business or pleasure, to know that they have eight major reasons to visit Greater Fort Lauderdale."

With so many beaches located in one easily accessible area, travelers from couples and families including boomers and generations X and Y to the GLBT and multicultural audiences can be sure to find one or more to suit their interests - be it water sports or nature, culinary to arts and culture, shopping and dining, and a nightlife that includes entertainment and gaming. In addition, the destination's colorful beach communities offer a vast array of restaurants, shops, events and attractions as well as a wide range of hotels and Superior Small Lodging properties at various price points.

"Come Play on our Beaches" is an integrated marketing program that includes public relations, advertising, online marketing and Web 2.0 strategies to showcase the eight beach communities and their hotels, restaurants, shops and events. Campaign elements include special advertising sections, advertorials, magazine inserts, a visiting journalist program, promotions and direct-to-consumer marketing via the Web. The campaign will run year-round with seasonal special offerings and packages.