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Florida has record year for visitors
About 76.8 million people traveled to the state in 2004, according to preliminary figures from Visit Florida.

By JERRY W. JACKSON
SENTINEL STAFF WRITER

Despite last year’s punch from hurricanes, a record number of tourists flooded into Florida in 2004. Preliminary figures released Monday by Visit Florida put the 2004 total at 76.8 million, about 3 percent more than in 2003.
“That was a record,” Visit Florida spokeswoman Vanessa Welter said. “We’ve been steadily going up” ever since a brief dip in 2001.
The state estimated that 72.8 million visited in 2000, followed by 69.5 million in 2001 – a rare dip blamed on that year’s recession and the Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings. The numbers then resumed climbing, in 2002 to 73.9 million and in 2003 to 74.5 million.

RISING TIDE OF VISITORS
Visitation to Florida continued to increase in 2004 despite the hurricanes. Tourism promoters are cautiously optimistic about the growth continuing in 2005.
2004 – 76.8 million
2003 – 74.5 million
2002 – 73.9 million
2001 – 69.5 million
2000 – 72.8 million