Tourism sun shining in Miami
Overnight visitors to the Greater Miami and the Beaches (GMCVB) grew to almost 7% last year over the previous one, creating a record-breaking 13.4 million visitors.
"Latin America continued to be the leading source of international visitors, accounting for more than 4.4 million overnight visitors in 2011, a 9.2% increase over 2010," according to the GMCVB.
Brazil surpassed Canada in number of overnight visitors with more than 634,000 to become Greater Miami’s #1 international market in 2011, the bureau said.
"The strength of the Miami brand continued to attract a record number of overnight visitors in 2011, helping the industry recover from the global recession," said Steven Haas, Chairman of the GMCVB Board of Directors.
"The Bureau’s aggressive marketing and expansion of the popular summer and shoulder season promotions, including Miami Museum Month, Miami Spice Restaurant Month, Miami Spa Month, Miami Attractions Month and Miami Live Music Month were enjoyed by more visitors and residents than ever in 2011," said William D. Talbert, III, GMCVB president.
"Solid and record-breaking attendance" at major citywide conventions held in Greater Miami was reported in 2011 for organizations such as the American Statistical Association, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, American Society for Radiation Oncology, American Academy of Periodontology, Aviation Week Conference and Exhibition, Goldwell Corporation, and Art Basel Miami Beach.
Among the top 25 hotel markets in the U.S., Greater Miami and the Beaches’ revenue per available room (RevPar) increased 14.1% in 2011 to a record $115.65. Hotel room occupancy increased 7.4% to a record annual average of 75.6%.
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events