Feb 16, 2007 4:39 pm US/Eastern
Florida Sets Another Tourism Record
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Florida (CBS) ―
For a fifth consecutive year, Florida has set a record for tourism.
Last year, more than 84-point-6 (m) million people visited the Sunshine State.
That's an increase of more than 1-point-2 percent over the previous year.
The new record is a bit of a surprise because visitation was down more than two percent in the third quarter.
But the fourth quarter rebounded with a nine percent increase in visitors. More than 17 (m) million tourists played in Florida between October and December.
But even with the new record, Visit Florida describes tourism as flat.
They're pushing for more public funding for marketing so they can increase their annual budget from about 25 (m) million dollars to 59 (m) million dollars.
The agency says the extra cash is needed to keep Florida competitive with other states that are spending more on tourism.
Florida is currently outspent by Hawaii, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
