Orlando first to top 60 million annual visitors
Posting another record year for tourism, Orlando has become the first destination to welcome more than 60 million annual visitors.
Visit Orlando said more than 62 million people visited Orlando during 2014, creating an all-time record for the US tourism industry.
"This historic milestone is the latest testament to Orlando’s leadership in tourism," said Visit Orlando President and CEO George Aguel.
"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.
In addition a new record of 32 million room nights were booked in 2014, generating more than $200 million in tax for the first time.
New theme park additions have been attributed to the rise such as Diagon Alley, the second Harry Potter-themed attraction at Universal and Walt Disney World’s new expansion of Fantasyland.
The US Travel Association has also hailed the numbers with USTA CEO Roger Dow saying: "Passing the 60 million annual visitors mark is a significant achievement for Orlando and the US travel industry that generates $2.1 trillion for the U.S. economy each year."
However New York, which recorded a total of 56.4 million visitor arrivals last year, is till the top destination for international visitors with more than 12 million in 2014.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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