SHARE:
Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida tourism officials fear travel ban as spring break approaches
Last year, Florida saw devastating drops in tourism due to coronavirus shutdowns. In the late spring and early summer, peak tourism times, the star lost over 60 percent of the tourist traffic. Representatives with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association say a travel ban before spring break would cripple the industry at a time when it's just beginning to recover. Towards the end of last year, Visit Florida spent millions on campaigns to promote travel within the state. Now, they’re ready for tourists from out of state to return. More from WPEC.
Be ready for gas prices to rise again in Florida
Florida’s average gas price dipped three cents since the year-long peak that had been reached a week ago. But that relief may be short-lived and you could be seeing another spike in prices soon, experts say. “Unfortunately, the recent jump at the pump may not be over yet,” said Mark Jenkins, a spokesman for the American Automobile Association. “Pump prices could eventually reach $2.60 per gallon in the coming weeks." More from WPLG.
Loctek Ergonomic developing distribution center in North Jacksonville
Loctek Ergonomic, which makes work furniture focused on wellness and productivity, has leased a Jacksonville warehouse and plans to build a distribution center in North Jacksonville. Loctek’s U.S. headquarters is in Livermore, California. The Bloomberg news service says Loctek Ergonomic Technology Corp. is based in China. Loctek says it has 1,400 jobs and operates factories in China and Vietnam and distribution centers in Livermore, which is near San Francisco, and in Memphis, Tennessee, and Houston. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
The tech scene is growing in South Florida, but it has a ways to go
The COVID-19 pandemic could wind up boosting South Florida’s standing as a national hub of technology-related businesses, dependent on a workforce that some executives describe as more skilled than most people think. An increasing number of companies are looking to move to Florida because of high taxes and strict pandemic restrictions in places like the Northeast and California, development officials say. They contend that Florida sometimes gets a bad rap for its technology potential. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
What will high season look like in Sarasota-Manatee during COVID?
Normally, Sarasota-Manatee has an idea of what seasonal business will look like by this time of year. Beaches are packed, travel plans are already booked and those who aren't here yet are dreaming of their upcoming vacations to Siesta Key or Anna Maria Island. But this year, the answer to the question “what will the season look like?” isn’t as clear. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Profile
The life of a Tampa Bay 911 operator
Kellen Scott is a senior telecommunicator at the Clearwater Police Department, dispatching officers in response to calls on vehicle accidents, domestic abuse, drunks, “a whole gamut of things,’' he says. A former middle school math teacher who says he wanted a change that still allowed him to help the community, Scott, 36, finds the job exciting. “Every single call is different. You never know what’s going to happen when you pick up that phone.’'
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Out of the Box
Lilium developing on-demand sky taxi service hub at Lake Nona
On a small airfield near Munich, Germany, a 5-year-old company called Lilium is developing what it believes will be the future of regional air travel — an on-demand, electric air taxi service — and the company is partnering with real estate developer Tavistock to build its first U.S. hub in Lake Nona. If all goes as planned, by 2025, consumers will be able to book a Lilium flight from Orlando to nearly all of Florida’s major cities via an Uber-like, smartphone app.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
In case you missed it:
