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Business trends for 2006

Tourism

Forecast uncertain for summer season

By STEVE HUETTEL
Published January 8, 2006

March should be marvelous and December just dandy. But after consecutive years of tumultuous hurricane seasons, Florida tourism officials worry that potential visitors are growing reluctant to come to the Sunshine State from late July through October.

Visit Florida, the state's tourism marketing agency, estimates the number of visitors will grow 3.2 percent in 2006. That's better than national estimates of 2 percent growth in leisure travel, but a far cry from Florida's 7 percent in 2004 and 9 percent for the first three quarters of 2005.

Increasingly, tourists believe hurricanes are part of Florida's summer landscape and are looking elsewhere. And people considering a summer vacation after mid July are waiting longer to book trips as they watch the weather, said Walter Klages, president of Research Data Services in Tampa.

Local tourism agencies are more upbeat. Pinellas County projects visitor growth of at least 5 percent for 2006, although final numbers likely will show the county missed last year's 5 percent goal because of hurricane threats and Red Tide outbreaks.

On the up side, Pinellas is attracting more affluent tourists, and the amount they spend is growing at about twice the rate of visitor growth.

Hillsborough County officials hope big events like the national convention of 20,000 Shriners over the Fourth of July weekend will result in a modest increase in visitors coming off a strong 2005.

[Last modified January 8, 2006, 11:20:55]