Will Omicron affect Florida Tourism long term? This is a question many Floridians have weighing on their minds.
In December, state economists lowered their expectations for the number of incoming tourists until the middle of 2022 due to the rapid spread of the omicron variant and the possible lockdown restrictions that could be placed during their travels. Shockingly, Florida tourism exceeded projected expectations for the third quarter of 2021, with over 2 million more visitors than originally forecasted. A .3% increase from the third quarter in 2019, before the Coronavirus pandemic.
Visit Florida officials believe that it is too early to make projections on the fourth quarter, however they have launched new winter marketing campaigns directed towards tourist in many cities including, New York, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Detroit, and more. Florida isn’t seeing the normal influx of Quebec license plates yet, although many officials believe our friends from up North are making their way down to the Sunshine State. With no plan on slowing down marketing efforts, Florida officials see a “bright” future with many visitors anticipated.