Travel News

Florida set to rely on foreigners this year

Foreign visitors to Miami in Florida could prove an important part of the sunshine state's tourism industry this year if domestic visitor numbers fall, according to reports.

Government figures released this week reveal that Miami Dade County saw a four per cent gain in room revenue in March.

However, hotels in Broward County and the Florida Keys, which have a lower share of foreign visitors than Miami, saw their revenues fall last month, the Miami Herald reports.

Peter van Berkel, president of Travalco, which sells holiday packages to Europeans, said: "We are up dramatically…Miami is the major gateway - especially for our mix of clients."

Hotel analyst Scott Brush added: "I think Miami-Dade would show a decline [in March room revenue] if not for the international traffic.

"What everybody's worried about is: Is this going to carry into the summer?"

Domestic arrivals at Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood international airport were up by eight per cent this year but remained flat at Miami international, while foreign visitor numbers at Miami climbed by nine per cent.

There are fears that widespread problems in the US economy could lead to a drop in domestic travel this summer, while the strength of the euro and the pound against the dollar could prompt an increase in visitors from across the Atlantic.