VisitFlorida, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation, said the number of visitors in 2011 was up 4.4 percent over 2010, and above the 84.5 million visitors the state had in 2007.

VisitFlorida also said travel-related employment rose to a near record high of 1.013 million, adding 38,000 jobs, 3.9 percent more than in 2010.

The growth in tourism was driven by overseas visits, which increased 16.1 percent, the state said.

A 5.7 percent growth in Canadian visits put Canadian tourism at an all-time high.

Also, it was a banner year for Florida residents vacationing in their own state, VisitFlorida said.

“Since Florida relies on tourism to generate nearly a quarter of the state’s sales tax revenue and to employ over one million Floridians, it’s very encouraging to see that the industry experienced a record year,” Tony Lapi, chairman of the VisitFlorida board, said in a statement.

Preliminary data from airports showed a nearly 12 percent increase in commercial air travel, as well.

Havana

“Orlando International Airport can now provide more convenient access to Cuba for Cubanborn residents in Central Florida. This further positions Orlando International Airport for future service development opportunities,” said Phil Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, in a statement.

Orlando International Airport joins a list of six other Florida airports – Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Palm Beach, Fort Myers and Tampa – in being granted approval to provide passenger air service to Cuba.

There is no word yet on when flights will begin to operate out of Orlando International Airport.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando (exterior), 14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando

The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grand Lakes located at 4012 Central Florida Parkway and Waldorf Astoria Orlando at 14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane in Orlando were named to a selective list of Best Hotels in the USA, after U.S. News analyzed 1,548 luxury hotels nationwide.  Both hotels rank #1 and #2 respectively, out of 624 Orlando-Walt Disney World Hotels and scored high enough to make the exclusive U.S. News list.

U.S. News evaluated the strength of accolades and ratings that elite hotels received from major travel publications, as well as, online user ratings in order to create this year’s rankings. In so doing, U.S. News identified hotels that are loved by experts and consumers alike.

The ten top-ranking hotels overall, according to U.S. News are:

• The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, An Auberge Resort – Bluffton, SC
• Four Seasons Resort Koele – Lanai City, HI
• Wentworth Mansion – Charleston, SC
• Four Seasons Hotel Seattle – Seattle, WA
• Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu – Kailua-Kona, HI
• Amangani – Jackson, WY
• Rancho Valencia – Rancho Santa Fe, CA
• Triple Creek Ranch – Darby, MT
• Calistoga Ranch, An Auberge Resort – Calistoga, CA
• The Elysian Hotel Chicago – Chicago IL

The entire list of 2012 Best Hotels in the USA Here.

Named the “Floridian of the Year” for 2011 by Florida Trend Magazine, the robust Brazilian economy has made Florida the number one destination in the U.S. for tourists arrivals from that country and helped off-set a slight decline in domestic traffic for the month at Orlando International Airport.

“Based on November numbers, on a rolling 12-month basis, Brazilian traffic has increased by 41 percent at Orlando International Airport, said Phil Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.  “Approximately 203,552 Brazilian passengers can be directly attributed to TAM Airlines’ twice-daily non-stop flights from MCO to Sao Paulo. Fueled by Brazilian numbers, we should be able to break another international travel record at Orlando International for 2011.”

It is estimated that over 1.4 million Brazilians visited the United States in 2011.

AMR Corp. and AMR Eagle Holding Corp. said Tuesday in a statement that the move is “in the best interest of the companies and its shareholders.”

The Chapter 11 process enables American Airlines and American Eagle to continue conducting normal business operations while they restructure their debt, costs and other obligations.

Thomas W. Horton, Chairman and new Chief Executive Officer and President of AMR and American Airlines, said, “This was a difficult decision, but it is the necessary and right path for us to take – and take now – to become a more efficient, financially stronger, and competitive airline.”

Horton added, “Throughout the restructuring process, as always, our customers remain our top priority and they can continue to depend on us for the safe, reliable travel and high quality service they know and expect from us. We intend to maintain a strong presence in domestic and international markets, including our cornerstones in Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles. As we and all airlines routinely do, we will continue to evaluate our operations and service, assuring that our network is as efficient and productive as possible.”

American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® carrier serve 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories with, on average, more than 3,300 daily flights.

Examples of fares include:

$59 one-way between Los Angeles and Phoenix
$79 one-way between Austin and Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood
$89 one-way between Boston and Raleigh-Durham
$109 one-way between Orlando and Milwaukee

In addition, Southwest also announced a Cyber Monday one-day only sale for 50 percent off of roundtrip Wanna Get Away fares for travel to and from Reno and Panama City Beach. These discounted fares are available for purchase only at southwest.com or swabiz.com through 11:59 p.m. PST today, Nov. 28, 2011. The fares are available for travel all days of the week between Dec. 12, 2011, and May 17, 2012 (blackout dates apply). To see the list of markets, prices, and to take advantage of these special fares, visit www.southwest.com .

AirTran Airways, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest, also lowered its fares with a sale starting today! Please visit www.airtran.com to see list a list of markets and fares.

Orlando International Airport (Photo: CVB)

The business days are:

•  Saturday, November 26th is the busiest day of the travel season with 116,028 total passengers.
•  Sunday, November 27th is the second busiest day of the travel season with 114,402 passengers.
•  Saturday, November 19th was the third busiest day of the travel season with 113,619 total passengers.

Parking Enhancements:

•  The Blue Lot has been renamed “North Park Place” economy parking lot.
• The Red Lot has been renamed “South Park Place” economy parking lot.
•  Parking enhancements include faster, more customer-friendly service and new, more comfortable shuttle buses for rapid transport to and from the main terminal building, 24 hours a day 7 days a week with the promise that “No One Parks You Closer”.

Useful Information:

• When picking up passengers, remember to allow 30 minutes after scheduled flight arrival time before driving to curb for pickup. This allows time for guests to move through the terminal, collect their luggage and meet you at the curb for quick, hassle-free pickup.
•  Arrive at the airport at least two hours in advance for domestic and three hours in advance for international flights.
• Orlando International has last minute gift ideas. From cosmetics to toys to jewelry, over 72 retail outlets are available throughout the airport.

Contributing to the rise in passenger traffic this holiday season is an increase in the number of flights being offered at Orlando International. Attached is a listing of the airlines and new air service for MCO through the end of 2011.

Gulfstream Airlines

Central Florida travelers have a new travel option at Orlando International Airport. Gulfstream International Airlines now has service available to Marsh Harbour, in the Bahamas. The new daily scheduled flight provides service year round.

“The arrival of Gulfstream Airlines to Orlando International Airport is welcomed news. Introducing service to such a vibrant and desirable destination like Marsh Harbour, in the Bahamas, helps us increase leisure and business travel options for not only Orlando but for all of Central Florida,” says Ron Lewis, Deputy Executive Director of Operations for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

The Gulfstream service will fly Beechcraft 1900D aircraft with a seating capacity of 19 under the Continental Airlines name badge.

Rendering - Disney's Art of Animation Resort - The Lion King

Walt Disney World Resort announced Monday the projected opening dates for its new Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, to be undertaken in phases beginning May 31, 2012.

The new resort, located near Disney’s Pop Century Resort, will offer 1,120 family suites themed after “The Lion King,” “Cars” and “Finding Nemo” animated films. The new facility also boasts 864 guest rooms inspired by “The Little Mermaid.”

According to the current timetable, the “Finding Nemo” wing will open on May 31, the “Cars” win in late July, and “The Lion King” wing in late September. “The Little Mermaid,” the final wing is slated to open in December 2012.

Some 1,200 Central Floridians are employed on constructing the new resort. Once open in 2012, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will create 750 permanent jobs.

“The job-killing equation is simple – add taxes and lose jobs. Tripling the passenger security fee and creating a new $100 departure tax will have a devastating effect on the U.S. economy and our customers, who already pay more in taxes for air travel than they do for alcohol, tobacco and firearms. The proposed new taxes will impact fares and reduce service, which equates to a one-way ticket to the unemployment line for thousands of Americans,” said ATA President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio.

Economists from the Oliver Wyman management consulting firm estimated the potential job loss based on the cost of these taxes on the industry and expected capacity cuts to accommodate the additional costs. The study notes that airlines have limited ability to pass through cost increases due to the elastic relationship between pricing and demand.

If Congress approves the two taxes, according to the Oliver Wyman calculations, passenger carriers could reduce capacity by 2.3 percent, which would lead to 9,700 jobs eliminated compared to 2011 employment levels.

The airline industry is the third greatest contributor to the U.S. economy after energy and farming, yet it is among the least profitable, Calio added.