Florida Tourism

Because of a legally required 72-hour “cooling off” period, the budget is required to be finalized and printed Tuesday for the annual legislative session to end on time Friday.

Many of Florida’s springs are at risk, largely from a combination of reduced water flow and increased pollution.

Tourism officials say it could lead to money being diverted away from tourism promotion and advertising.

The city has been steadily upping the ante with new rules and regulations, such as banning scooter rentals after 7 p.m.

A majority of U.S. colleges have canceled spring break, in an attempt to curb student travel. But the rise of online classes means students can now attend college from anywhere, including beachside.

Daryl Cronk, with Visit Orlando says the availability of coronavirus vaccines "is giving people confidence."

Estimates show the state handled 86.714 million travelers in 2020, down 34% from the previous year and the lowest number in a decade.

Visit Florida reports a 34% drop in yearly visitors in 2020, and the lowest annual total since 2010.

The next target audience for Visit Florida will be the West Coast, expanding earlier efforts that targeted travelers from East Coast cities who could drive or take short flights to Florida.

Florida’s tourism industry is showing signs of recovery. But it’s not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels for another year.

The state Department of Economic Opportunity on Friday posted a 6.4 percent jobless rate for November, equal to a revised jobless mark for October. The unemployment rate in November 2019, before the pandemic hammered the economy, was 2.8 percent.

The study from Destinations Florida shows a slow but steady recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.