The Impact of Travel

We break it into three categories: direct, indirect and induced. Direct economic value happens when visitors do things like book hotel rooms, rent cars and buy tickets to attractions. This type of spending supports jobs, wages, taxes and gross domestic product in sectors like recreation and transportation. But the impact ripples further than that. Tourism companies also purchase goods and services from other businesses, such as food wholesalers and utility suppliers. We call this indirect impact. Finally, we have employees whose wages come either directly or indirectly from tourism. When they spend those wages in the local economy, they create induced impact. 

As the Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, we brand, market and sell the area globally as a premier leisure, convention and business destination. We represent over 1,500 member companies comprising every segment of Central Florida’s community. 

Tourism makes our region an attractive place to live, work and play. Examples include the convenience of two international airports, leading arts and sports venues, and shopping, dining and entertainment experiences from the most recognized brands in the world. Residents also have access to a large employer base, jobs that accommodate a wide spectrum of education and experience levels, professional growth opportunities, and more money in state and local tax coffers.

Tourism also supports local businesses, fosters entrepreneurship and new business ventures. Small business owners make up 95% of our local economy many of which rely on the conventions and tourists that visit our destination. From florists to barbers, and museums to local-owned restaurants, we all benefit!

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2021

Tourism creates a funding stream for better schools, roads, public safety and other important government services in three ways:  

• Property taxes fund most of the county’s general use revenue for areas such as public safety, health and social programs, children services, public transportation, parks and recreation, and infrastructure improvements. In 2019, 12 of the top 15 property tax owners in Orange County were in the tourism industry.  

• Sales taxes also fund a variety of Orange County services and projects, including local school construction and renovation. In a typical year, visitors contribute 50% of all sales taxes collected in our county. Over the past five years, tourism-related sales tax collections have totaled more than half a billion dollars for our local schools. 

• Tourist development taxes on overnight lodging primarily fund destination marketing and the Convention Center; in recent years, this tax has also helped grow the county’s arts, cultural and sporting venues, as well as special events. 

The tourism industry is very supportive of economic diversity for our region and believes that expanding other business sectors benefits everyone. At the same time, we also are proud that so many members of our industry are willing to continue investing in our community to help ensure ongoing prosperity. When tourism is strong, it positively impacts virtually every job sector in Orlando, which also helps strengthen economic diversity. While leisure and hospitality is our region’s largest employer, new job growth is balanced across both tourism and non-tourism industries, and together have made Orlando one of America’s fastest-growing job markets for several years.