It seems like everyone is coming to Orlando as the theme park capitol draws record visitor numbers. But not the British. Not anymore.
“The number of British visitors to Orlando fell in 2010 for a third consecutive year, a puzzling decline in travel from what was once Central Florida’s biggest international market,” says the Orlando Sentinel.
Another puzzling development: Last year was considered ideal for British visitors, thanks mostly to the opening of Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction.
Yet last year British travel to Central Florida was down nearly 15 percent, to about 710,000, according to the latest estimate from Visit Orlando, the local visitors bureau.
In some other areas of Florida, such as Fort Lauderdale, British visitor numbers are up.
So what’s behind it
One possible explanation is that two key charter operators — XL Leisure Group and Globespan Group — went out of business. They were key elements in bringing visitors to the less-crowded and smaller Orlando Sanford International Airport (The Orlando International Airport is the main facility).
Taxes may also play a part. Britain in the past two years has sharply increased its air passenger duty, a tax airline passengers pay when flying from the U.K. to other somewhere else, said the newspaper. The tax to fly to the US costs more than to some European destinations.
The decline may also be attributed to the middle-class British families who in the past have come here for the sunshine and theme parks were particularly affected by their country’s general economic turmoil, said Sean Snaith, an economist at the University of Central Florida.
By David Wilkening
