Record 72 million tourists came to Orlando last year

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Even though Hurricane Irma forced the closures of its theme parks and airports and filled its hotels with displaced evacuees, a record-setting 72 million tourists still flocked to the Orlando area last year, tourism officials said Thursday.The 5 percent year-over-year increase in visitors was powered by domestic travelers, while visits from international travelers remained soft. With those numbers, Orlando held onto its title as the most visited destination in the United States.”The success in Orlando is great, not just for this iconic destination, but for travel as a whole,” said Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, who was in Orlando for the announcement of the 2017 figures.Tourism in Orlando, and other parts of Florida, shut down …

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Record 72 million tourists came to Orlando last year