Floridaâs Tourism Recovery Has Been Uneven, Biggest Challenge Still Return of Business Travel
February 17, 2021
Beach communities like Clearwater Beach have fared better than other Florida cities during the pandemic. Photo: Jon Bilous/Shutterstock.com.
Hospitality and tourism has long been the driver of Florida’s economy. According to the Visit Florida’s latest Travel and Tourism Report, the industry had a $91 billion economic impact on the state in 2018, supporting more than 1.5 million jobs and $54 billion in total wages and proprietor income for the state’s workers.
Now, almost a year after COVID-19 devastated travel and tourism economies around the world, Florida is no different. The state saw a 34% drop off in visitors for 2020 and, like almost all major global destinations, is looking to climb the rest of the hurdles towards its tourism recovery, which is so vital to the state.