• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
MENUMENU
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • FlaglerLive Board of Directors
    • Comment Policy
    • Mission Statement
    • Our Values
    • Privacy Policy
  • Live Calendar
  • Submit Obituary
  • Submit an Event
  • Support FlaglerLive
  • Advertise on FlaglerLive (386) 503-3808
  • Search Results

FlaglerLive

No Bull, no Fluff, No Smudges

MENUMENU
  • Flagler
    • Flagler County Commission
    • Beverly Beach
    • Economic Development Council
    • Flagler History
    • Mondex/Daytona North
    • The Hammock
    • Tourist Development Council
  • Palm Coast
    • Palm Coast City Council
    • Palm Coast Crime
  • Bunnell
    • Bunnell City Commission
    • Bunnell Crime
  • Flagler Beach
    • Flagler Beach City Commission
    • Flagler Beach Crime
  • Cops/Courts
    • Circuit & County Court
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • Federal Courts
    • Flagler 911
    • Fire House
    • Flagler County Sheriff
    • Flagler Jail Bookings
    • Traffic Accidents
  • Rights & Liberties
    • Fourth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Privacy
    • Second Amendment
    • Seventh Amendment
    • Sixth Amendment
    • Sunshine Law
    • Third Amendment
    • Religion & Beliefs
    • Human Rights
    • Immigration
    • Labor Rights
    • 14th Amendment
    • Civil Rights
  • Schools
    • Adult Education
    • Belle Terre Elementary
    • Buddy Taylor Middle
    • Bunnell Elementary
    • Charter Schools
    • Daytona State College
    • Flagler County School Board
    • Flagler Palm Coast High School
    • Higher Education
    • Imagine School
    • Indian Trails Middle
    • Matanzas High School
    • Old Kings Elementary
    • Rymfire Elementary
    • Stetson University
    • Wadsworth Elementary
    • University of Florida/Florida State
  • Economy
    • Jobs & Unemployment
    • Business & Economy
    • Development & Sprawl
    • Leisure & Tourism
    • Local Business
    • Local Media
    • Real Estate & Development
    • Taxes
  • Commentary
    • The Conversation
    • Pierre Tristam
    • Diane Roberts
    • Guest Columns
    • Byblos
    • Editor's Blog
  • Culture
    • African American Cultural Society
    • Arts in Palm Coast & Flagler
    • Books
    • City Repertory Theatre
    • Flagler Auditorium
    • Flagler Playhouse
    • Flagler Youth Orchestra
    • Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
    • Palm Coast Arts Foundation
    • Special Events
  • Elections 2024
    • Amendments and Referendums
    • Presidential Election
    • Campaign Finance
    • City Elections
    • Congressional
    • Constitutionals
    • Courts
    • Governor
    • Polls
    • Voting Rights
  • Florida
    • Federal Politics
    • Florida History
    • Florida Legislature
    • Florida Legislature
    • Ron DeSantis
  • Health & Society
    • Flagler County Health Department
    • Ask the Doctor Column
    • Health Care
    • Health Care Business
    • Covid-19
    • Children and Families
    • Medicaid and Medicare
    • Mental Health
    • Poverty
    • Violence
  • All Else
    • Daily Briefing
    • Americana
    • Obituaries
    • News Briefs
    • Weather and Climate
    • Wildlife

Despite Orlando Massacre and Zika Virus, Florida Tourism Draws Record 27 Million Visitors in 3 Summer Months

November 21, 2016 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

Florida still got the buzz. (© FlaglerLive)
Florida still got the buzz. (© FlaglerLive)

A hurricane that hit North Florida, the continued spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus and a horrific massacre in Orlando haven’t slowed the appeal of the Sunshine State for tourists, according to state officials.


Gov. Rick Scott’s office Monday announced that a record 26.9 million people traveled to Florida between July 1 and Sept. 30, a 5.1 percent increase from the same period in 2015.

Also, the numbers came as Canadians, Florida’s top source of foreign tourism, have cut back on travel due to their nation’s weakened dollar.

Scott traveled to the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens to announce the latest numbers and to call for continued funding of Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing arm.

The state faced a series of challenges during the first nine months of the year, including the June shooting deaths of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Hurricane Hermine hitting North Florida in early September and a steadily increasing number of Zika cases in South Florida. Also, Hurricane Matthew churned along the state’s East Coast in early October, causing significant damage in some areas.

  • grand living realty

“Visit Florida does an incredible job of marketing our state and keeping all of our tourism partners, which include both large and small businesses, updated on how to keep our visitors informed when our state faces challenges like the Zika virus, hurricanes and the terrorist attack at Pulse nightclub,” Scott said in a prepared statement.

As part of the recovery strategy, Visit Florida has used marketing campaigns tied around the social media hashtag “#LoveFL” to focus on areas impacted by disasters.

  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

The tourism industry accounts for more than 1 in 10 jobs in Florida, and Scott has set a goal of 115 million visitors for this year, which would be up from the 106 million reported for 2015.

Preliminary numbers for the first nine months of the year indicate 85 million tourists have made their way to Florida, a 5.5 percent increase from a year earlier.

Visit Florida President & CEO Will Seccombe said the numbers indicate a need for his agency to work harder “to maintain that growth going forward.”

To bolster the efforts, Visit Florida received $78 million from the Legislature for the current fiscal year, which began July 1.

Most third-quarter visitors, 23.6 million, were Americans crossing state lines. While domestic travel is up 5.8 percent, overseas travel grew 0.9 percent during the same time.

As part of its overseas marketing, Visit Florida spent $1.25 million to renew a one-year sponsorship of London-based Fulham Football Club, which is owned by Shahid “Shad” Khan, a Naples resident who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League and has been a political backer of Scott.

Britain’s nearly 1.7 million visitors last year was second to the 3.8 million Canadians. However, Canadian travel is down 3.8 percent this year from 2015 — 5.7 percent in the third quarter.

–Jim Turner, News Service of Florida

Support FlaglerLive's End of Year Fundraiser
Thank you readers for getting us to--and past--our year-end fund-raising goal yet again. It’s a bracing way to mark our 15th year at FlaglerLive. Our donors are just a fraction of the 25,000 readers who seek us out for the best-reported, most timely, trustworthy, and independent local news site anywhere, without paywall. FlaglerLive is free. Fighting misinformation and keeping democracy in the sunshine 365/7/24 isn’t free. Take a brief moment, become a champion of fearless, enlightening journalism. Any amount helps. We’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donations are tax deductible.  
You may donate openly or anonymously.
We like Zeffy (no fees), but if you prefer to use PayPal, click here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. beachcomberT says

    November 21, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    Can Gov. Scott or Visit Florida give us a cost-benefit analysis that justifies spending $1.25 million of state money on an overseas soccer team? Incredible cronyism.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Conner Bosch law attorneys lawyers offices palm coast flagler county
  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Primary Sidebar

  • grand living realty
  • politis matovina attorneys for justice personal injury law auto truck accidents

Recent Comments

  • Scrubblade.... on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Unincorporate now on Only 6 Apply to Serve on Palm Coast’s Charter Review Committee So Far, 2 Weeks Ahead of Deadline
  • Ed on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Molly's pub.... on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Duane on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Ray on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Dirty Laundry on Mark Strobridge, Sheriff’s Chief of Staff, Set to Be Assistant City Manager in Palm Coast for 3 Months
  • Ed P on The Daily Cartoon and Live Briefing: Monday, February 10, 2025
  • Pierre Tristam on American Doctors Are Escaping to Canada. Guess Why.
  • Big Mike on County Kills Half-Cent Sales Tax for Beaches as It Seeks Mystery ‘Alternatives’ to Save 18 Miles of Shoreline
  • For heavens sake on County Kills Half-Cent Sales Tax for Beaches as It Seeks Mystery ‘Alternatives’ to Save 18 Miles of Shoreline
  • J Stewart on Flagler County Will Buy 5.2-Acre Parcel on Intracoastal North of Hammock Dune Bridge for Preservation as Parkland
  • Ric Flair on Only 6 Apply to Serve on Palm Coast’s Charter Review Committee So Far, 2 Weeks Ahead of Deadline
  • larry krasner on County Kills Half-Cent Sales Tax for Beaches as It Seeks Mystery ‘Alternatives’ to Save 18 Miles of Shoreline
  • Elaine on American Doctors Are Escaping to Canada. Guess Why.
  • Robin Holman on Florida Wants Court Ruling Protecting Manatees Halted

Log in