Miami tourism on the rise while the rest of FL hurts (hotels, shop)

[Coconut1]

I thought this was an interesting article. Miami is resilient regardless of what many want to believe:

Fla. tourism industry reeling from dismal year - Travel - News - msnbc.com

One bright spot is Miami, which has managed to maintain its luster through the recent hard times, partly because about half its visitors come from overseas.



The city is one of few markets in the country where the average daily rate for hotels is actually on the rise, and the Miami International Airport was second only to New York for international arrivals this year. Foreign visitors stay longer and spend more money.


"We've been more aggressive in the foreign markets, we've added more offices in South American countries, even though — like everybody else — we are doing more with less," said William Talbert, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Visitors & Convention Bureau.


Another bit of good news: Thompson said Florida is expected to reap benefits from the Tourism Promotion Act, which was passed by Congress in February and created a nonprofit corporation to promote U.S. tourism overseas.

[flyers29]

No surprise. Lots of people here with relatives in Latin America who come to visit for shopping trips and whatnot, so that keeps a constant flow even with the general downturn.