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Industry Outlook 2006 - Tourism
Packing Them In
Tourism experts predict a solid year for businesses that rely on tourism.
THE SPORTS PLAY
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Baseball's been a boon for tourism. Attendance at Florida spring training games last year reached record levels, with close to 1.6 million people, an average of 6,244 per game. Nick Gandy, spokesman for the Florida Sports Foundation, says amateur and recreational sports are also boosting tourism. In 2005, a ballroom dancing competition brought 8,000 people and $5.3 million to Broward County. In its last fiscal year, the Florida Sports Foundation awarded $653,000 in grants to 77 sporting events that are expected to draw about 227,000 out-of-state visitors.
Person to Watch
 RICHARD KESSLER |
CEO, Kessler Enterprise,
Orlando
Richard Kessler, who built his fortune running the Days Inn of America motel chain, now focuses on high-end boutique hotels. His Kessler Enterprise operates nine four-star theme hotels across the country, including four in Florida. His latest project is the Grand Bohemian Hotel and Residences slated to open in 2009 in downtown St. Petersburg.
Foreign Interest
If Florida were its own country, it would be the fifth-most visited nation in the world by Expedia customers. International travelers spent about $13.4 billion in 2003 in Florida, according to the most recent statistics available, and the state ranks first among all destinations for Expedia's Canadian and U.K. customers. (It's the second favorite destination of German jetsetters and third among French travelers, an Expedia company representative reported at the 2005 Governors Conference on Tourism.) The number of British travelers to Florida slipped 17% last summer and is projected to be down 13% this winter, according to AC Nielsen. Virgin Holidays, the leading U.K. tour operator to Florida, says the decrease is driven by economic factors, fuel costs and confusion over the entry process into the U.S.
HURRICANE FACTOR: Bobby Cornwell, president of the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, says Florida's $5-billion RV park industry actually "benefited" from last year's hurricanes. Misplaced residents, insurance adjusters and aid workers filled up the 800 or so RV campgrounds around the state, and 2006 looks promising. "Reservations are up," says Cornwell.
FUEL FACTOR: Despite rising gas prices in 2005, consumers did not stay home en masse and are unlikely to do so this year. Whether higher heating costs this winter -- one-third to 50% higher -- keep them home remains to be seen.
Business Beat - Week of May 3rd
