Florida may be considered one of the hotspots of the current increase in COVID-19, but the state nonetheless reports a strong number of tourists, at least during the second quarter of this year. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, credits the state’s lack of pandemic restrictions for success.
Sunshine State hosted 30.6 million domestic visitors during the months of April, May and June, 216% more than last year, according to preliminary estimates by Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism organization. . Perhaps more significantly, it marked an increase of 6% over the same quarter in the pre-pandemic period of 2019.
“
“Florida continues to set an example for the country.”
”
“Florida continues to serve as an example to the country that when you reject unnecessary blockades and mandates, your economy will thrive,” DeSantis said in a statement.
Florida COVID-19 cases increased 38% over the past 14 days, with a two-week average of 24,517, while coronavirus-related deaths increased from 102% to 138 over the same period, which caused the total death toll in the state to be 41,138, according to the New York Times tracker.
Given the state’s current increase in COVID-19, the question remains whether travelers will continue to see Florida as a desirable destination, even with all of its theme parks and beaches. Earlier this week, Palm Beach County, one of the state’s most popular destinations for visitors, declared a state of emergency.
Last week, more than 800 state doctors sent a letter to the governor asking him to repeal his order banning schools from issuing mask warrants. “Blocking communities from making local decisions to protect themselves with their top-down edict, for everyone, will make things worse,” the letter said.
“Governor DeSantis should strongly encourage all eligible Floridians to get vaccinated and facilitate vaccinations, including local schools. Gunfire is only part of an effective security strategy, ”he added.
Local officials, including some Republicans, have also criticized DeSantis for his pandemic-related decisions.
“He’s a dictator,” Carlos Hernandez, the Republican mayor of Hialeah, told the Washington Post. “It’s a shame because we’re paying the price.”
Hitting a national trend
In many ways, Florida has a national trend when it comes to tourism. The daily number of passengers on airplanes, based on Transport Security Administration (TSA) control scores, is still well below 2019 levels.
For example, on Wednesday the TSA registered 1,678,231 passengers, which was a decrease of 27% compared to the same day two years ago.
Still, tourists are looking for certain destinations beyond Florida. Some national parks have seen a record number of travelers in recent months. In July, Yellowstone National Park surpassed the monthly mark of one million visitors for the first time in its history.
Pauline Frommer, editorial director of Frommer’s Guidebooks, said the reason for the rise in certain national destinations, including Florida, has a lot to do with the fact that it is still a challenge for Americans to go abroad during the pandemic, especially with the recent increases in cases. due to the delta variant.
“Many Americans are rightly nervous about traveling abroad,” he said.
“
“Many Americans are rightly nervous about traveling abroad.”
”
Nick Ewen, senior editor of Florida-based travel website The Points Guy, agrees with the governor that the Sunshine State’s relaxed pandemic policies have likely increased travel, especially for tourists who were also considering destinations. with stricter rules.
“Whether you agree with Florida’s decisions or not, some people appealed,” he said.
On social media, many say they cancel trips to Florida due to the increase in COVID-19 there.
One of the travelers issued a pointed tweet DeSantis came to the attention of a few days ago, saying, “We had to cancel our $ 5,000 vacation in Fort Lauderdale because of your asinine policies on COVID and masks in your state. We advised our friends to do the same “.
In fact, travel experts say the outlook may not be as sunny for Sunshine State in the future when it comes to attracting visitors.
“I think the momentum will stop,” Frommer said. “I don’t see how (Florida) can continue to be so popular.”
In a statement, Visit Florida president and CEO Dana Young noted that her organization does not make projections on the number of tourists ahead.
But he said Visit Florida “is making every effort to maintain that momentum. Florida has endless safe vacation options that can be adapted to all levels of comfort and we are confident that this message will resonate with travelers, no matter what.