the British arn't coming............

[dip your toe]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-british-tourism-tax-20110309,0,3802373.story

Read all the comments following the article........ a bewildering mixture of ignorance, arrogance and plain stupidity amongst them.

[Kriz1]

It cost a lot more for us to go to FL when our kids were young then it does now..I worked two jobs for our FL trip ..

[Susie]

They are still coming but not as often, those that used to come back year after year now seem to return about every third year.

What annoys me is that visitors have to apply for pre approval of entry under ESTA and now being charged for the application

[kirtida8]

So no one thinks it has anything to do with all the bad publicity surrounding the scam artists that abound here?

[Carl]

Do you mean the Doug Halls etc? I doubt it very much, the people coming here on vacation have no interest in those matters, its more likely the unfriendly welcome they get at the airport by the American Immigration people.

Went to Disney the other evening and it was packed out, so even if the Brits arn,t coming, I doubt that the parks are too worried anyway. Flights have gone up quite a lot. My property management friends thought that last year was their best, but this year is even better, so maybe we will see more Canadians and Americans in the area. It could also be a natural cycle, maybe people are doing the Canaries again for a while.

[Kriz1]

Last time we went to the parks nearly everyone was from Brazil

[Carl]

There were a lot of American/Canadian sounding voices and south Americans, I did hear some British voices and spotted some as well (capri trousers and wining kids) lol.

[JulieC]

The flight prices from the UK are horrendous and Disneyland Paris is advertising on TV giving away free this and that so competition. People are worried about their jobs and the budget cuts and Orlando isnt cheap any more. Apparently Majorca, the Greek Islands, Cyprus, and Croatia are hot spots and Turkey hotter still, benefiting from never having entered the Euro so a good exchange rate ( cheap) Long haul Cancun, the Domenican and Thailand are popular. Maybe the Harry Potter phenomenon was not as much of a draw for Brits as people were thinking??

The Americans were always better customers for rentals anyway, willing to pay more per night ( even though their bookings are generally shorter) and willing to pay the tax on top.

[Kriz1]

Harry Potter is too small...I'd not travel just to see it..

[kirtida8]

Harry Potter may be small but it is fantastic and well worth going to just to look at all of the detail that went into creating it. The main ride is also brilliant and butter beer is beginning to grow on me even though its expensive.

[Carl]

I have to say it does have a great atmosphere there.

Who wants to go to Disneyland Paris? YUK!

[chris]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-british-tourism-tax-20110309,0,3802373.story

Read all the comments following the article........ a bewildering mixture of ignorance, arrogance and plain stupidity amongst them.

I read this article yesterday and whilst the article is full of journalistic holes, which the Sentinel is becoming well known for, I too found the comments at the end the most interesting. All I would say is that if a lot of Brits read those comments, made by Americans , then even less would be coming over.
As for why less are coming, perhaps the folks in the Visitor Bureaus' might like to step out of their bubble and realize that there is a big economic downturn on and folks are losing their jobs, many have less disposable income to play with and the cost of airfares has increased dramatically.
I was only talking to a Prop Mgr this morning who was saying how much the airfares from the UK have increased and how booking from across the pond have dropped. He did say they have seen little downturn from Brazil, where they are less dependent on oil and their economy has been growing.
But please read the comments and judge whether some of the plonkers deserve to enjoy the fruits of the tourist money that comes in to Orlando. I am sure they wouldn't bee too happy going back to what they did before Disney, that is picking Oranges and running cows around a field.

[JulieC]

I have to say it does have a great atmosphear there.

Who wants to go to Disneyland Paris? YUK!

People with limited funds who cant afford 500 plus each to get to Florida. You can drive to Paris. Actually it seems to have the best bits of all the Disney parks if you look at the blurb, best rides etc. My son recently went to the one in Tokyo and said how like the one in Orlando it was. Disney is Disney all said.

[Carl]

Interesting as I hear that its nothing like it and in no way as good. but then it is only a Disneyland and not a Disneyworld.

[alan]

I can only talk from my own position.
We used to vacation in Florida (Timeshare) every year. The last time we visited was November 2--9.
I'm afraid the economic downturn has hit us hard, with reduction in salary and disposable income.
We literally cannot afford a holiday anymore and certainly not £2,000 to £3,000 on a two week trip to the uSA.

I dont think I am different to many I'm afraid :-(

[Carl]

sure you are right Alan, unfortunately.

However I was at Old Town Last night, I thought it would be quiet, it was mobbed and a lot of British voices, is it school hols back there or something?

[Kriz1]

In the FL Holiday forums its a lot quieter and people who have been going to FL every year are now cutting back...a few I thought would never sell their holiday homes have done..we go because of the house but we don't spend anymore..

[JulieC]

In the FL Holiday forums its a lot quieter and people who have been going to FL every year are now cutting back...a few I thought would never sell their holiday homes have done..we go because of the house but we don't spend anymore..

I am on the same one as you and very true, Kriz. However the ones selling are the ones who have owned 5-10 years where they may have some equity left. A lot of those who have owned less than 5 years are just walking. Now has to be a good time to buy however??? One mans loss is another mans gain.

[alan]

sure you are right Alan, unfortunately.

However I was at Old Town Last night, I thought it would be quiet, it was mobbed and a lot of British voices, is it school hols back there or something?

Sort of :-)

Officially, the svhool break up this Wednesday for Easter, but many are making two weeks out of it, as there is an extra days statutory holiday for the Royal wedding then a bank holiday the following monday, so in all around three weeks off, so many have taken the earlier cheaper flights before the official school break up and massive increase in flight costs.

[Carl]

You cant blame them can you.

[Kriz1]

I think the world is in a lot more trouble than many people think..

[byjove]

My mum and dad only come to see me and not do all the tourist stuff. But it is getting so expensive for them to come over, but I could not bear not having them in my life. It has been 15 months since I last saw them before this last 3 weeks (taking them to the airport today:( taxes are rocketing, the POE are still just as rude wanting to know the insides of a ducks arse) They like to cruise from the uk, and that is another point baggage allowed is so small.

[chris]

Every dog has its day and Florida has evolved over the past 10 years I've lived here and the 20+ years that we visited. In the late 80's and 90's, Disney, Seaworld and Universal were spending big time on new pavilions, parks, etc. Nowadays, for the most part it's a new roller coaster of sorts and the imagination IMHO has gone out of the parks. Disney is reputedly spending 1 BILLION dollars tarting up the Haunted House, making the waiting in line all part of the experience (oxymoron if ever there was one!), but it's still going to be the Haunted House. Universal came out with Harry Potter, which is still trading on the newness of it, but that will slow down eventually.
For folks to part with upwards of 5000 GBP for a family trip to Florida, there has to be something unique or different from the last time they visited. For many Europeans, Florida is becoming passe. Rude people when they enter doesn't help. Spain years ago had a reputation for rudeness, etc and they put their house in order after pressure from the big travel groups. The US won't do that. The economy is of course mainly to blame for folks cutting back. The 2 weekers in Florida may become 2 weekers in Spain. The 2 weekers in Spain become 1 weekers and the 1 weekers cutback and maybe enjoy the UK. Nothing ever stays the same, we all know that.

[Carl]

Yes thast true, I think the big diffrence with the Orlando stuff is that it has a real global market, They dont care where the dollars come from, as long as they come.

[Phoenix]

I know the economy plays a big part, but the one major thing both for people abroad and within the US is the price of oil. The surcharges that the airlines are placing on flights (on top of extortionate taxes in some places) is very prohibitive to many and with gas prices rising almost daily, Americans can't afford to drive too far either.

[Carl]

Oil prices are crazy, I cant believe that the west relys so much on the most unstable part of the world. they are pushing forward LPG or its equivalent here soon, so hopefully we will have no dependance on foreign oil, also some of the Texas fields are being re opened.

Carl.

[chris]

Read the blogs in the financial articles on the price of oil. It is the speculators who causing the problems at the moment, no-one else. They trade the oil on paper, nothing more. They buy and sell the paper and make a killing. Some were saying that these investors should be made to take physical delivery of the oil they trade and that would stop the gambling, because that is all it is.
Found some interesting stuff out on where the USA buys it's oil from. The #1 supplier of oil to the USA is Canada, the # 2 is Mexico, the # 3 is Saudi Arabia. They also buy from Venezuela, and Iraq as well as the UK. Apparently the reason the US buys so much from Canada and Mexico has to do with trade tariffs. Under the NAFTA agreement, oil from Canada and Mexico is not subject to tariffs, thereby making it cheaper. I knew Canada sat on lots of shale oil, and I never knew Mexico was a big oil producer, so that got to thinking - does Canada and Mexico import oil on behalf of the USA thereby avoiding tariffs, then transfer it to the USA under NAFTA? It wouldn't surprise me!

[Carl]

Yes your right Chris. I think that the price of oil should be set for a set period so that companies can set their budgets and people know how much Petrol will cost over a time period. Just rich people getting richer AGAIN!!!!!

[britcan]

I understand from friends who have just come back from 3 months in Florida that its mostly Canadians who are holding up the economy there!!

[davidmartin_uk]

A pretty interesting report here from the UK Post Office. If true then Florida does not look a good destination for people with less and less cash to spare.

http://uk.travel.yahoo.com/p-promo-3361119

Dave

[telco]

A pretty interesting report here from the UK Post Office. If true then Florida does not look a good destination for people with less and less cash to spare.

http://uk.travel.yahoo.com/p-promo-3361119

Dave

Miami though... everyone knows Miami is 50% dearer to eat out in, than anywhere else in Florida........
bet when they did spain they never went to Puerto Banus....

[anniefromessex]

Just been reading on another forum about the price of flights to the USA - that has got to be a biggie on why people aren't coming over. Somebody on there quoted for a family of 5 (normal size family) and it would cost, with park tickets, flights, car hire, villa hire etc etc around 10K. Who the hell can afford that in these times? So sad but a sign of the times at the moment.

Love Anniexxx

[JulieC]

Yes flight prices are sky high, concerns about Libya and what is happening in the rest of the middle east on top of everything else. No one in the UK is spending on luxuries nowadays, too many worries about budget cuts, VAT going up, inflation, housing market stagnating. Florida is a dear holiday for a family as you say. I am a still a member of a homeowners forum and there are a lot of villa owners struggling. A large part of the bookings they are getting are American bookings, they drive down or the flights arent so expensive, Brits who are going anywhere are booking cheap places like Turkey.

[Carl]

Interesting convcersation with a client this morning, apparently there is a shortage of short term rental homes at the moment due to the amount that are forclosed and abandoned. Also, Florida Mall was full of Britts yesterday as was the cruise ship to the Bahamas, maybe we are seeing the havs and the have nots starting again in the UK? I do hope not as its not a nice situation.

Carl.

[chris]

Interesting convcersation with a client this morning, apparently there is a shortage of short term rental homes at the moment due to the amount that are forclosed and abandoned. Also, Florida Mall was full of Britts yesterday as was the cruise ship to the Bahamas, maybe we are seeing the havs and the have nots starting again in the UK? I do hope not as its not a nice situation.

Carl.

I think you may be right on the have's and have not's. It is no different to the USA where the gap between those with money and those without is the biggest it's ever been. It is something like 95% of the wealth in the US is held by 2% of the population. That's frightening when so few have so much power & influence over a country's future and well being.
Russia had this little thing called a Revolution when they had those sorts of statistics back in 1917.

[24/7]

What a load of rubbish, there is no shortage of vacation homes, and definately no shortage of brits! Go to homeaway or VRBO and see how many are available for these weeks.
Go anywhere, it is full of Brits on half term!
What you may be referring to as a shortage of homes is the UK tour companies are finding it hard to place their ridiculous low rate bookings, with payments after departure. Many management companies have been stung once and are now wiser and will not deal with these agents.
The reason for hikes on air fares, apart from taxes etc is that there are less flights to Florida from the UK. Most flights are full and where there is demand, there is a higher price to pay.

[Carl]

Didnt realize you were in a position to be the final word on it 24/7, this was a genuine conversation and it was for someone who does workfor management companies, maybe some of the home owners should get their heads from up their back sides and be realistic with their prices, to say its rubbish is ignorant.

Chris. You are absolutely right about it being that way here, it saddens me when I see pan handlers, but you have to ask yourself are they really or just in it for the free booze, its hard to tell them apart sometimes. Its another case of the well off doing ok and sod the rest of you, yet again.

Carl.

[chris]

What a load of rubbish, there is no shortage of vacation homes, and definately no shortage of brits! Go to homeaway or VRBO and see how many are available for these weeks.
Go anywhere, it is full of Brits on half term!
What you may be referring to as a shortage of homes is the UK tour companies are finding it hard to place their ridiculous low rate bookings, with payments after departure. Many management companies have been stung once and are now wiser and will not deal with these agents.
The reason for hikes on air fares, apart from taxes etc is that there are less flights to Florida from the UK. Most flights are full and where there is demand, there is a higher price to pay.

Don't beat about the bush, just say it like it is next time!!:fit::fit::fit::fit:
We can also agree to disagree, but there are ways of saying it. Courtesy costs nothing.

[Orchidvilla]

I was priceing up for end of September and Virgin put a sale on today (joke)but still quite expensive so may not come out till March

[Carl]

Was at UNiversal yesterday. Lots of British voices there, Flights seem to be very expensive in School holidays and still fairly cheap out of them.

[JulieC]

Was at UNiversal yesterday. Lots of British voices there, Flights seem to be very expensive in School holidays and still fairly cheap out of them.

Because of the way our bank holidays fell this year and a day off for the royal wedding to boot, you could take just three days off work and get an eleven day holiday. A lot of people seem to have done that. Could explain the number of Brits there at the mo.

[dip your toe]

Flew Orlando -Gatwick on Virgin just over 3 weeks ago. Plane half full. Three seats all to myself- bliss.

Flew back three weeks later plane had 181 passengers, not sure of the capacity, but again I believe that is less than half full. Again 3 seats to myself.

[Kriz1]

I was just reading in a holiday forum about the cost of flying here...I moan about $80 each way...we have lost almost all the holiday homes on our estate...it looks more lived in now which I like better than cookie cutter..