Florida grapples with international tourism lag

[Zorro]

The U.S. Department of State said the delay stems from a combination of “pent-up demand” for visas, as countries have lifted COVID-19 restrictions, mixed with regular seasonal demand.

Florida tourism leaders continue to fret over a lag in international visitors as the industry anticipates tourism numbers for the final three months of 2022.

While Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing agency, boasts that Florida is the top U.S. destination for overseas travelers based on market share, numbers of international visitors to the state and nation remain far below pre-pandemic totals.

Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young last week expressed concerns that global inflation and lengthy visa-processing times could affect the final numbers for 2022 and tourism in 2023.

“The wait time to get an interview for a visa in Mexico City is 693 days. In Lima, Peru, it is 831 days,” Young told members of the Visit Florida Executive Committee. “This is absolutely ridiculous, and it is impacting our international visitation.”

https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2023/01/30/florida-grapples-with-international-tourism-lag/

Of course it must be the federal government's fault that the number of international visitors to Florida is down; it can't have anything to do with DeSantis turning Florida into an open-carry cesspool that enacts legislation to discriminate against those who don't agree with MAGA orthodoxy.