Visitor numbers up in Florida

Florida's official tourism group has revealed that the state saw an annual rise in visitors in the third quarter of 2007.

Some 21.1 million people visited the state of Florida between July 1st and September 30th, according to figures from official tourism marketing group Visit Florida.

This is an increase of 4.8 per cent compared to the third quarter of 2007, the statistics show.

Florida's 14 major airports showed a 9.3 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of people boarding planes in the third quarter of the year.

Welcoming the figures, Florida governor Charlie Crist said: "The Sunshine State offers something for everyone - beautiful white sand beaches, rich cultural and historical districts and a wide variety of trails for biking, hiking and paddling.

"We invite visitors from across our country and the world to come experience a Florida vacation to remember for a lifetime."

Tourism brought $65 billion (£31.4 billion) into Florida in 2006, making it one of the state's top industries.

This revenue was used for a number of initiatives, including road building, school support and other development programmes.

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