Tourism numbers on a roll as British visitors help Orlando coast to record year in '04

Posted August 19, 2005

International tourists made a significant, if still sluggish, return to Orlando last year, giving tourism leaders hope that a four-year drop-off is coming to an end.

Vacationers from the United Kingdom increased at the fastest rate, making up nearly half of the 2.6 million international travelers to Orlando in 2004, according to figures released Thursday by the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

That translated into a 12 percent increase in international tourism compared with 2003 -- the biggest one-year gain since international travel to Orlando peaked in 2000 at 3.7 million people, only to drop dramatically after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"A weak dollar, especially to the [British] pound, was tremendously beneficial for us," said Bill Peeper, president of the visitors bureau. "All the numbers seem to be pointing the right way."

Overall, nearly 48 million people visited Orlando in 2004, a 6 percent increase over 2003.

"Each year is better than the previous one," said Abe Pizam, dean of the University of Central Florida's hospitality management college. "But it's not yet where it should be, or where it was."

Pizam said that, while a weak dollar has helped renew interest in Orlando among some foreign visitors, many are continuing to stay away because of heightened security measures in the United States and the hassles that accompany them, as well as increased opposition to the war in Iraq.

"It's a miracle that, despite that, we have improved our visitor counts," Pizam said. "We cannot deny there is still animosity toward the United States in many parts of the world."

Struggling economies in South America also put the brakes on many potential tourists' travel plans in what historically has been a strong market for Orlando.

According to the bureau's figures, the number of South American visitors have dropped substantially in recent years, from 659,000 in 2000 to fewer than 300,000 last year.

Other signs point to a recent upswing in international traffic, however, Orlando International Airport officials said in June that the airport recorded a 20 percent increase in international passengers compared with the same month last year.

On International Drive, a tourism corridor that benefits heavily from overseas travelers, merchants are noticing the difference.

"It's maybe picked up," said Zach Marino, manager of Texas de Brazil restaurant on International Drive. "In this area it's hard to tell because this is the spot to be. We have a strong international clientele."

Asian visitors increased by nearly 40,000 in 2004, and about 100,000 more Canadians traveled to Orlando last year than in 2003.

The visitors bureau noted that it has stepped up its national and international marketing of Orlando, having pulled back on such advertisements after 9-11.

"Our plan is more back-to-normal in terms of marketing thrust," Peeper said.

New York remained the No. 1 source of domestic out-of-state vacationers to Orlando last year. The Tampa Bay area held on as the top source of in-state visitors.

Experts are predicting that 2005 will exceed last year in terms of both international and domestic visitors.

Earlier this month, Walt Disney World reported percentage growth in the low double digits among international tourists, while the number of domestic customers remained relatively flat during one of the rainiest Junes on record.

"If everything stays stable, we should come out on the international side real well" in 2005, Peeper said.

Beth Kassab can be reached at bkassab@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5448.