Omicron Variant to Have Major Impact on Florida Travel Next Year - Inside the Magic

COVID-19’s new variant, omicron, may have a major impact on international Florida travel moving into the New Year, according to state economists.

Related: Omicron Now Most Predominant Strain in Walt Disney World’s County

In the third quarter of 2021, Florida’s tourism exceeded its expectations, reporting 32.6 million visitors. In fact, Visit Florida reported that in the third quarter of 2021, the numbers surpassed those from the same period in 2019, which was before the coronavirus pandemic affected the United States and its tourism.

However, with the new omicron variant, state economists are now predicting the numbers to drop once again, especially from those coming in from Canada and overseas.

Orlando Sentinel recently reported that members of the state Economic Estimating Conference are anticipating the new omicron variant will slow international tourism in Florida:

Saying the world is entering a time of uncertainty, members of the state Economic Estimating Conference agreed Monday to slightly lower expectations through the middle of 2022 for Canadian and overseas travelers, as the panel looked at various aspects of the Florida economy.

Related: 30-Year-Old Disney Park Off-Limits to Some Guests Amid Omicron “Tidal Wave”

Holger Ciupalo, the policy coordinator for the governor’s Office of Policy and Budget, said omicron would have a “dampening effect” on international travel:

“In the near term, I think, yeah, omicron and all that might have some dampening effect.”

The omicron variant, which was first detected in southern Africa, has now spread around the world, including in various parts of the United States. The first Florida omicron variant case was reported on December 7, 2021, at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa.

Related: OpEd: End of Disney’s Magical Express Pushes International Guests Offsite

Despite this possible temporary setback due to the omicron variant, Florida is still optimistic that tourism will bounce back later in 2022. Vesselka McAlarney, an Office of Economic and Demographic Research economist, expressed a “welcoming stance in the background of increasing government-imposed rules regarding COVID and further requirements to travel internationally.”

“As we saw under the initial lockdowns, more visitors might have switched to travel to Florida to where they can drive rather than going internationally. So, we may further benefit from that,” McAlarney said.

Related: Time to Head to Disney World? COVID Transmission Map Shows Florida’s Low Numbers

If you plan on visiting Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando, make sure you familiarize yourself with the current rules and regulations at the theme parks.

For Walt Disney World’s current safety rules, click here. For Universal Orlando’s current safety rules, click here.

Do you have plans to visit Florida in the near future? Are you worried about the omicron variant? Let us know in the comments below.