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orlando now
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Did you know that more people escape to Orlando for a
vacation than any destination in the United States?
> For many of us travel is an escape, a way to reconnect with our families, friends, children and spouses. We travel to experience new cities, new food, shopping and thrills. It is a psychological release that allows us to escape our day-to-day activities and focus on what is really important to us. Did you know that more people escape to Orlando for a vacation than any destination in the United States? We expect to hear that in 2010 we welcomed more than 49 million visitors – 3 million more people than in 2009. Pretty impressive. People come to Orlando to relax, enjoy family and friends, experience new thrills and reconnect.
Experience = Impact By: Gary C. Sain President and CEO, Visit Orlando Read more at: StyleToMe.com
You may ask yourself, what does that have to do with me? Many of you, your families or friends are the first impression many visitors have of Orlando.You greet them at the airport or at local festivals. You serve them at restaurants or help them find their way around the local theme parks. You impact their trips in so many ways and help them to create memories that last a lifetime. And their experience impacts our economy every time they return or share their experience with family and friends. Travel and tourism is our community’s number one industry, employing one in every four workers in Central Florida while at the same time generating a payroll of nearly $14 billion every year. In addition, Tourist Development Tax, a tax paid by visitors on the usage of hotel rooms and rental homes, paid for $270 million of the $380 million dollar construction cost of the new Amway Center. That’s a huge impact on our local and state economies. The impact is so large that there is a whole week dedicated to travel and tourism. Established in 1984, National Travel & Tourism Week is held May 7-15. In Orlando, we celebrate the industry and its employees with several events throughout the destination.
styletome.com
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To get the ball rolling we start with a premier race that cuts through the heart of the tourism district, the I-Drive 5K held on Saturday, May 7. The annual race starts and finishes at Pointe Orlando on International Drive. All proceeds from the event support swimming lessons at the YMCA Aquatic Center on International Drive. Throughout the rest of the week we honor our industry and its employees with events at the airport, Visit Orlando’s National Travel & Tourism luncheon, proclamations from the Mayors of Orange County and the City of Orlando, and a special day for visitors at the airport. Every year, to help raise awareness of the impact of a healthy and vibrant travel and tourism community Visit Orlando holds a Travel Rally Day. On Tuesday, May 10 at the Orange County History Center the rally will highlight the local, state and national impact that travel has on jobs, the economy and our psyche. Travel and tourism is the lifeblood of Orlando. It has made our city a worldwide-recognized brand.We should celebrate our success and honor those that have created a nearly $30 billion industry. It is because of dedicated community partners, industry employees and business leaders that we have become the number one destination for travelers. We have much to be proud of. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.<
Gary Sain