C
entral Orlando and the ‘west coast’ beach resorts of St Petersburg and Clearwater
offer everything for the whole family – or couples who want to enjoy the more sophisticated side of Central Florida before soaking up the sun and relaxing by the sea.
Pinellas County – which incorporates
St. Petersburg/Clearwater – reports that it attracted 8.3% more UK visitors in the first half of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011. The UK is Orlando’s second-largest international market after Canada, providing 767,000 visitors in 2011. Direct UK air services to both
Orlando and Tampa, just inland from St Petersburg/Clearwater, mean there are flights right on the doorstep for visitors who want to do a theme park and beach combination. But with the coast just 90 minutes away from Orlando, it is also very easy to mix the two destinations and drive between them while flying in and out of Orlando. Orlando itself is, of course, known as
the world’s favourite holiday playground for its theme parks and attractions, with the likes of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld recently joined by LEGOLAND Florida and a dazzling array of other options on offer.
With a record-
breaking 55.1 milion visitors heading there in 2011, up 7.2% on the previous record of 51.4 million set in 2010, and international
travel to Central Florida up
3.5% from 2010 to 3.8 million, Orlando is the most visited destination in the USA. While overall numbers are
predicted to grow slightly during 2012, UK arrivals are seeing a slight dip this year – although Visit Orlando expects that downward trend to be reversed in 2013.
Both destinations continue to add
new tourism product to tempt visitors to return. The $35
million Salvador Dali Museum, containing the surrealist artist’s
largest collection of works outside Spain, opened in St
Petersburg at the beginning of 2011 and has alredy established itself as one of the area’s top attractions, along with the Morean Arts Centre’s Chihuly Collection of glass sculptures which opened in summer 2010. One of the area’s newest hotels is Pier House 60, which opened for summer 2012. There are also plans for
PERFECT TWINS St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Orlando
For Florida-hungry clients, the Gulf Coast sister resorts of St. Petersburg and Clearwater twin perfectly with the theme parks of Orlando, says Peter Ellegard
54 September 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Selling Tip “Clearwater
will appeal to clients of all ages due to its beaches, coastal views and entertainment”
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