News

Florida could be relying on foreign visitors to Miami to keep its tourism industry afloat this summer as the number of domestic visitors drops, according to reports.

Government figures released this week show that hotels in both Broward County and the Florida Keys saw room revenues fall in March, reports the Miami Herald.

Conversely, Miami-Dade County, which has a higher share of foreign tourists than the other two locations, saw a 4% increase in revenue last month.

Hotel analyst Scott Brush told the Herald: 'I think Miami-Dade would show a decline [in March room revenue] if not for the international traffic.

'What everybody's worried about is: Is this going to carry into the summer?'

Figures from Miami international airport also illustrate the city's popularity among foreign visitors, with international arrivals up by 9% this year and domestic passenger levels staying flat.

At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood international airport, however, domestic arrivals have increased by eight per cent this year.

In 2007, foreign visitors made up 46% of Miami's tourism market but this could rise this year as European and British visitors take advantage of the strength of their currencies against the US dollar.

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