OIA passenger numbers are mixed
Passenger traffic at Orlando International Airport increased 3.8 percent in January, according to numbers released Wednesday, but the number of international passengers took a tumble.
While domestic traffic climbed almost 6 percent, OIA experienced an 8.5 percent decline in international passengers.
More than 3.6 million domestic travelers went through the airport along with 451,906 international ones.
Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell pointed out the decline follows record increases.
Also, she said, from November to February, there were declines in international seat capacity. In January, for example, international seat capacity dropped 7.4 percent.
“This can be largely attributed to the Brazilian carriers which in previous years had scheduled additional frequencies during that period, but this year, due to the economic conditions in Brazil and decline in international travel from that country, the carriers did not add that additional seasonal capacity,” Fennell said in an email.
However, she said, the market shows signs of rebounding. OIA announced Friday that starting in July, LATAM Airlines will offer service to and from Rio de Janeiro three days each week using Boeing 767 aircraft with a capacity of 221 passengers
International seat-capacity growth is scheduled to turn positive again in March with between 5.4 and 8.9 percent growth each month through the summer. That includes new service through July from Air Berlin, Eurowings, and Norwegian.
Overall, there have been predictions of international tourism weakening because of the Trump administration’s actions, including the president’s executive orders banning travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.
“All these talks about banning countries, America first and all the other things that are going on right now with our new president, are affecting the image of the United States,” said Abraham Pizam, dean of the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “People are less inclined to come and visit here. That is the most popular current opinion as to why there is a small dip, but nevertheless significant, in international tourism.”
The original short-lived Trump order temporarily banning citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries came in late January. But temporarily banning Muslims from traveling here and constructing a Mexican border wall were part of the president’s campaign platform.
SeaWorld Entertainment - which has lost hundreds of thousands of Latin American visitors — listed the Trump administration’s policies as a risk factor in its recent annual report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other factors affecting international visits could include the strength of the U.S. dollar, Pizam said.
Last year, international travel into Florida accounted for about 13 percent of the state’s nearly 113 million tourists, according to industry estimates.
The United Kingdom branch of travel website Kayak reported that searches for flights to parts of Florida, including Orlando, have been down significantly. Searches for flights to Tampa and Orlando decreased 8 percent year-over-year from July 1 to Feb. 16.
On the domestic travel numbers, "we are cautiously optimistic,” GOAA executive director Phil Brown said in a statement. The airport has seen positive signs in February, he said.
Central Florida’s convention business including the International Builders Show and PGA Merchandise show, along with the National Football League’s Pro Bowl game, helped bolster January’s numbers.
Also contributing to the domestic increase was new daily jetBlue service and new three-day-a-week flights by Frontier to Madison, Wis.
Also at OIA, rides on the Disney’s Magical Express airport shuttle-and-luggage service to Walt Disney World hotels increased from 2015 to 2016.
Ridership jumped percent to 5 million, to numbers by the airport.
Fees collected rose from $1.87 million to $1.94 million. 3.3 according released
The first phase of The Grove, on the west side of Disney World, opened Friday.
The first 184 of its 878 guest suites have opened.
The Grove is an all-suite property with residential style units offering full kitchens, washers, dryers, and living and dining areas. The units range in size from 1,264 to 1,544 square feet.
The resort had been sitting vacant since it was built in 2008. Formerly called Grande Palisades, it has undergone a rebranding.