WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE OF TOURISM IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WILL LOOK LIKE?
Mary Lee Downey, CEO, Hope Partnership: When I think about the future of tourism in Central Florida, I think about those who work in the hotels, restaurants, gas stations and attractions. Maybe someday we will see these individuals as the backbone of our tourism industry and value them as such. Today, most of these people are unable to enjoy the experiences that draw tourists from around the world to our area. I hope that in the future, we’ll provide enough financially attainable housing for this workforce that they’ll be able to bring their families and experience the joy that so many of us take for granted.
Joel C. Hunter, chairman, Community Resource Network: The future of tourism in Central Florida will feature many more educational and social impact sites. On the drawing board are world-class museums and educational centers such as the nationally designated Pulse Memorial and Museum, the new Holocaust Museum and Educational Center, the 4Roots Farm campus for food research and education, expanding sports facilities and programs, along with the new world class centers of medical, technical, aerospace and the largest media/arts school in the nation, Full Sail University. We will balance our “entertainment” attractions with our learning and “making a real world improvement” industries.
Ric Keller, lawyer, former member of Congress: To quote a 1980s one-hit wonder, our “future is so bright we gotta wear shades.” Orlando has six of the top 10 theme parks in the United States, according to Trip Advisor. Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure are consistently ranked as the top two coasters in the country. I wonder if the guy who fired Walt Disney for “not being creative enough” will be at the Magic Kingdom’s 50th anniversary party? A rising tide lifts all boats. Literally. The popularity of Disney, Universal and SeaWorld helps the smaller ecotourism employers, like those who offer the very popular airboat rides.
Khalid Muneer, broker/owner Jupiter Properties Central Florida: With Disney still having a third of the land that it can develop to create new theme attractions, the future of tourism is extremely optimistic as tourists need new attractions to visit. Also, with Universal, SeaWorld and other attractions creating new resorts and attractions and aggressive marketing by Visit Orlando, we can see the number of visitors hitting 100 million once the pandemic is under control. With a record number of direct international flights to and from Orlando’s airport combined with the new transportation links to Miami and Tampa, these visitor numbers can only grow.
Mark E. NeJame, founder, senior partner, NeJame Law: As Central Florida becomes more cosmopolitan, cultured and diverse, our international tourism will grow. Although a record-setting number of tourists visit Central Florida, the vast majority come from the U.S. As the international tourist sees more options to experience locally and as the gateway to the U.S. opens post-COVID, the growth of the international tourist would be expected.
Cole NeSmith, executive director, Creative City Project: The future of tourism in Orlando looks more diverse. While our themed entertainment offerings are a strong driver of tourism, these most prominent offerings leave a lot of people out. Visit Orlando’s new CEO, Casandra Matej, has shown a strong commitment to diversifying the organization’s efforts to showcase our area’s breadth and depth of culture. She and her team continue to embrace Orlando as a destination — not only for themed entertainment and conventions, but as a place for fantastic art, music, dance, food and culture. Showcasing all we have to offer will lead to more repeat visits, longer stays and a direct economic impact on local businesses and cultural institutions.
Joanie Schirm, GEC founding president; World Cup Orlando 1994 Committee chairman:
The immediate red-flag issue is climate change. Report from the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Dr. Kristy Dahl, July 2019: “Orlando, Florida experiences about 20 days with a heat index above 100. Around three weeks. Mid-century, between 87 and 107 days with a heat index above 100. At the end of the century, Orlando could see over 140 days per year with a heat index above 100. … So there’d be about 110 days where the heat index would be above 105 and about 15 days that would have off the charts conditions where we can’t even really calculate a heat index.” The Sahara Desert’s average daytime temperature now? 100 degrees.
Michael Zais,
political blogger for thedrunkenrepublican.com: I see the future of tourism in Central Florida as twofold. First, venues like Disney, Universal and SeaWorld will have to continue to aggressively innovate and expand with new attractions and resorts to entice tourists to keep coming back. Secondly, I would anticipate that the birth of commercial space travel, led by billionaires such as Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk, is a match made in heaven with Central Florida and the Kennedy Space Center. While obviously a longer-term proposition due to having to establish a solid safety record, as well as making such trips affordable for the average person, the opportunities here seem endless.