Things To Do In SW Florida

TALLAHASSEE — Visitors to Florida last year fell short of 2022’s record numbers, as a post-pandemic rebound in international travelers couldn’t overcome a noticeable drop-off in domestic tourism late in the year.

The Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency Friday reported that Florida had an estimated 135.02 million tourists in 2023, down from 137.4 million in 2022.

Visit Florida, however, pointed to increases from 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel, and improved international tourist numbers. The state drew about 131.1 million tourists in 2019.

“Even as we faced the challenges of rising travel costs and widespread inflation, Florida’s tourism sector not only persevered but flourished (in 2023),” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a prepared statement. “From record air travel numbers to the significant return of international visitors, Florida continues to shine.”

The agency said 2.34 million overseas visitors in the fourth quarter of 2023 marked a 15.9 percent increase from the final quarter of 2022. Also, 1.07 million Canadians in the fourth quarter of 2023 was a 22 percent improvement from the same period in 2022. read more

With hundreds of apartments opening in the past year — and thousands more expected to come soon — Sanford leaders are now asking if all the new multi-family dwellings are straining city services.

And is it time for Sanford to slow down that growth, so it can catch up?

“What my concern is: How does the city of Sanford keep up with how rapidly we’re growing?” city Commissioner Sheena Rena Britton said. “I don’t want people to think that we’re against development. We’re all for it. But we want to make sure that we’re well prepared; not just for our residents, but for our visitors as well.”

Commissioners at a recent meeting said Sanford may even need to consider a moratorium — or a temporary halt —on the approval of new apartments. But first they want to understand the impact of all the growth.

Commissioners then asked city staff to compile data on whether Sanford’s police and fire departments have enough manpower and resources to handle the expected population increase. read more