Orlando Most Visited Tourist Destination In the U.S., 62 Million People Visited The City In 2014
Where is the most visited tourist destination in the United States? If your answer was anything other than the city of Orlando, Fla., you would have been wrong. Visit Orlando, the city’s official tourism association earlier today announced that Orlando has become the most visited tourist destination in the U.S. with over 62 million people visiting the city in 2014 alone. The city managed to achieve this feat even after facing crises like the Disney World fire incident.
According to a press release issued by Visit Orlando, this is for the first time in history that the number of tourists exceeded 60 million in any one destination in the U.S. In the process, Orlando has solidified its position as the most visited tourist destination in the United States, an ABC News report confirmed. The figure of 62 million tourists in one year is a five percent growth over the figures for 2013.
Visit Orlando President and CEO George Aguel said that the achievement by Orlando is a historic milestone.
“This historic milestone is the latest testament to Orlando’s leadership in tourism. It’s a tribute to the steadfast commitment and continued investment by our tourism community, the special brand of service that greets our visitors and the global marketing and sales efforts of our Visit Orlando team and member companies,” he said.
The press release adds that a total of 32 million room nights were sold in the city last year which ensured a bed tax collection exceeding $200 million for Orange County, Florida.
Orange County mayor Teresa Jacobs added:
“The impact of tourism on our community is remarkable, and in fact, the travel and tourism industry is the largest generator of jobs and economic impact for our region. In addition to delighting visitors and families from around the world, our travel and hospitality industry helps to support a great quality of life for Orlando’s residents, including our amazing new performing arts center and outstanding sports venues.”
The U.S Travel Association said that Orlando passing the 60 million annual visitors is a major landmark in the U.S. travel industry. President and CEO Roger Dow said.
“Passing the 60 million annual visitors mark is a significant achievement for Orlando and the U.S. travel industry that generates $2.1 trillion for the U.S. economy each year.”
One of the reasons for the surge in the number of tourists in Orlando in 2014 was the fact that several new attractions were opened to tourists last year. These included New Fantasyland, a Magic Kingdom expansion at Walt Disney World Resort, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter/Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando Resort. In 2015, several other attractions are set to open due to which there is chance that Orlando will maintain its position in the list Of the most visited tourist destinations in the U.S.
Do you plan to visit Orlando in 2015?
[Photo Handout via Getty Images]
