Orlando attracted more than 50 million visitors in 2010, the first U.S. city to hit that milestone. Above, tourists flock to Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney.
Photo: Brian Minnich
Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter was “a huge global phenomenon,” says Danielle Courtenay, Visit Orlando’s chief marketing officer.
Photo: Universal Orlando
Visitors to Florida
Photo: Source: Visit Florida
Visitors to Florida
Photo: Source: Visit Florida
For visitors coming from South America, Brazil is the primary country of origin
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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida tourism trends
Never mind high unemployment and stagnant housing markets in the U.S. Forget the European debt crisis. Visitors, both domestic and foreign, are bucking the economy and flocking to Florida. Read Florida Trend's Special Report on Tourism in the Sunshine State:
» Go Figure - Why Visitors Still Flock to Florida
» Visit Florida - Reinvented
» Hot Spots - Florida's Top Tour Stops
» Oil Money - Post BP Oil Spill, Bed-Tax Collection Rates Up
Britto draws mass appeal as businessman and celebrity artist
Behind Britto, the Brazilian artist, is Alina Shriver, the Miami businesswoman. Shriver has worked with Britto for 15 years and although she is married to Anthony Kennedy-Shriver, she jovially calls herself Britto’s office wife. Shriver is CEO of Shriver Art, the exclusive worldwide agent for Britto and the strategic thinker behind the explosion of Britto merchandise. [Source: Miami Herald]
» Florida Icon: Romero Britto
Florida Medicaid program in limbo
Millions of uninsured Florida families and health care providers are in a purgatory of sorts. Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-led Legislature want to privatize the state's Medicaid program, but need the Obama administration's permission. The Obama administration wants to make more low-income Floridians eligible for Medicaid, but needs Scott and the Legislature to agree. [Source: AP]
Blood money: Black, gray markets for diabetes test strips
To diabetics, the tiny pieces of plastic are a lifeline to health. To pharmaceutical companies, middlemen and thieves, the pricey strips are worth their weight in gold. [Source: Palm Beach Post]
Signs of a comeback in small business lending
Since the onset of the recession, small businesses across the nation have faced the same problem: Banks have been reluctant to lend because they had written too many bad loans and regulators had demanded they impose stricter lending guidelines. Growth and hiring suffered as a result. But signs point to a shift. It's a message coming from community banks to megabanks alike: Small-business lending, as Conroy bears witness, is on the comeback trail. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Biotech companies to meet in Miami
For entrepreneur Claudia Zylberberg, the biotech conference beginning Sunday in Miami could mean an expansion of hiring and lab space. "We're doing business internationally and seeking funding for the growth of the company," said Zylberberg, chief executive of Akron Biotech, a six-year-old firm that provides raw materials and biotools to the stem cell industry.
› Taylor, Bean and Whitaker: The last goodbye
The last, most prominent vestiges of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. in Ocala could soon slip into the hands of new owners, as the defunct company's spare-no-expenses corporate headquarters stands for auction later this month.
› Port Canaveral amphitheater aims to attract variety of acts
Port Canaveral could soon become Brevard County’s biggest concert venue, drawing major acts that previously did not stop along the Space Coast.
› New eatery uses foreign money to expand franchise
A program designed to lure foreign investors to finance new ventures is helping one restaurant chain expand throughout Florida.
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