Orlando News
Tourism annually generates approximately $71 billion in economic impact and supports roughly 449,000 jobs (41% of Orlando’s workforce). Visitor spending, in the neighborhood of $45 billion, provides more than $2 billion in state taxes and $3 billion in local taxes. Also, since 2009, visitation has increased 55%, while visitor spending is up 75%.
Orlando held onto its No. 1 spot in 2018 as the top city for meetings and conventions in the U.S., according to Cvent, who has produced an annual list of top convention cities since 2012. The meetings and conventions management technology provider tracked meeting activity from January-December 2017 to compile its 2018 list.
“We are on track to have a record breaking summer at Orlando International Airport. Our passenger growth is reflective of the value placed on this community by our travelers,” says Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “At our current pace we should surpass 47 million annual passengers by the end of summer.”
Citing a lack of “extensive level of support” from other incubators, Tech and Beers leaders say the new effort will fill that gap. “While existing incubators in Central Florida have proven successful for some, many of these programs only provide start-ups with limited funding and space to work,” REV CEO Ty Tucker said in a news release announcing Tech and Beers. “What’s lacking here is the extensive level of support necessary to really get a startup going.”
