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Wednesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida tops 30 million tourists in fourth quarter
Florida attracted nearly 30.9 million visitors during the final three months of 2021, the second consecutive quarter of drawing more tourists than in the comparable period of 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic slammed into the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday. The estimate could bring the overall number of tourists during 2021 to 122.3 million, which is less than the record 131.069 million visitors in 2019 but a 54 percent increase from the pandemic-ravaged 2020. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida's history as a military training ground now includes providing a base for ‘hostile' air forces
Approximately 1,100 times last year, foreign-built fighters took off from Florida bases to engage U.S. fighter planes over the Gulf of Mexico and Panhandle. The pilots — former U.S. military fliers — and their French Mirage F1 jets belong to ATAC, the acronym for Airborne Tactical Advantage Co., a unit of Textron. ATAC is a top player in an emerging industry: Private war jet fleets that serve as adversaries in air combat training. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida ‘can’t compete’ with other states in NIL. Here’s what that means and why it matters
Though players can make or raise money off their name, image and likeness through things like endorsements, camps and social media posts, Florida schools have tight restrictions on what they can do to help. That’s because the law Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 20 months ago prohibits schools, athletic departments or booster organizations from causing money “to be directed to” players or recruits. Because Florida’s law had the earliest effective date of any state (July 1, 2021), it pushed the NCAA to end its ban on NIL compensation. But being at the forefront has put Florida behind. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Manatee death toll rises in Indian River despite emergency feeding
Manatees are emaciated because their diet of seagrass has been exterminated by a pollution disaster. Winter is finishing them off. The state wildlife agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered in an emergency response like a military campaign. Along with retrieving dead and stricken manatees, the agencies oversee experimental feeding of up to 3,000 pounds of lettuce daily to the animals. They gather to refuge in the warm water discharged by the electric plant. Hand feeding them there is the only solution employed to prevent hundreds from perishing. The agencies don’t know if it is succeeding. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Disney removes face mask requirement for vaccinated guests
Starting Thursday, vaccinated guests visiting Walt Disney World will be able to go maskless at indoor locations at the resort, including attractions, shops and restaurants. Regardless of vaccination status, all visitors age 2 or older still have to mask up inside the resort’s enclosed transportation, including the monorail, Skyliner and buses. The resort is still asking unvaccinated visitors to continue to wear face coverings indoors. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Sports Illustrated resort hotel is coming to Orlando in 2024
Sports Illustrated is launching a line of resorts for outdoorsy tourists and sports fans, and one of its first hotels is coming to Orlando in 2024. Its name has not been made public, but it is part of the larger Sports Illustrated Resorts brand announced Friday. It is unclear where the Orlando-bound hotel will be built. Some of the branded hotels will be at or close to university campuses, according to the SI Resorts website.
› The opioid epidemic continues to plague North Central Florida communities
The opioid crisis continues to take lives across north central Florida, and local organizations are trying to find ways to combat it. Since 2018, the Ocala Police Department has responded to over 1,000 overdose incidents, which have resulted in the deaths of 139 Ocala residents. In January 2018, the Heroin/Opioid Amnesty program was launched by the Ocala Police Department to encourage drug addicts to seek help.
› Tampa health startup sells to celebrity-backed fitness app FitOn
A Tampa corporate health startup has sold to the company behind one of the more popular fitness apps in Apple’s App Store. Peerfit, which provides health and fitness programs for employers and health care providers, announced Tuesday that it has sold for an undisclosed sum to the celebrity-backed fitness platform FitOn. Peerfit will remain based in Tampa, home to 14 of its 50 global employees.
› Demand for Miami-Dade warehouses catches fire. Find out what’s fueling industrial real estate push
The amount of leased warehouse space last year in Miami-Dade County rose sharply to nearly 8 million square feet. The county is experiencing record-breaking demand for industrial real estate, including warehouse, manufacturing and distribution space, said Erin Byers, Colliers managing director for industrial services.
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