Florida Tourism Numbers Are Up

TALLAHASSEE - The weak dollar may be helping Florida's economy as state tourism officials Thursday touted increases in visitors for the first three months of this year. (Polk County does not track visitor figures, but local hotel and vacation home rentals for the quarter totaled $48.1 million, up 14.7 percent from last year, according to the county Tax Collector's Office.)

According to Visit Florida, the state-run marketing arm for tourism, nearly 24 million people visited Florida in the first quarter - a 3.4 percent increase from last year. Tourism in Florida has generally dipped or remained stagnant since the 2004 hurricane season.

Gov. Charlie Crist touted the increase in tourists as a needed balm for an economy struggling to recover from a collapsing real estate and construction market.

"I think they're a great sign of hope for the future to have that many more people visiting the Sunshine State," Crist said. "That has to have a positive impact."

But state officials are expected to release data next week showing another drop in sales tax revenues. Crist and Visit Florida officials said national TV advertising and increased marketing elsewhere has kept the pivotal industry strong.

But one big factor outside the state's control has helped as a weak dollar makes visits to America and Florida increasingly affordable for international tourists.

While overseas travel in the first quarter increased by 2 percent to about 931,000, Canadian travel increased by about 6.6 percent.

"The dollar is playing a great role in helping to lure international travelers," said Bud Nocera, Visit Florida's president and CEO.

And despite higher gas prices, or perhaps because of them, in-state travel of residents increased more than 10 percent as Floridians limit longer trips elsewhere.