Fewer International Visitors Fueling Local Economy
Orlando is the most visited tourist destination in the country, and more than 75 million people came last year according to Visit Orlando, the official tourism association for the city. They presented a travel forecast to the Tourist Development Council in Orange County at the end of June that included an anticipated 9% drop in visitation from international markets to the U.S. The report from Visit Orlando shows that Canada is the top international market to Orlando.
Sandra Pappas is a former Disney cast member who now owns Click the Mouse Travel, a Canadian agency that specializes in travel planning to Central Florida and its theme park attractions. She is seeing a significant drop in bookings to the area. Pappas joins Engage to discuss how perception and politics are impacting business, in particular concerns about U.S. immigration and border crossing policies.
Moving from the northern border to the southern, based on the number of visitors, Mexico is in the top five international markets for tourism in Orlando. Martha Garza owns Once Upon a Wish Travel in Mexico. She and her husband Esteban Gonzalez join Engage to talk about their agency’s focus on Central Florida and what trends they’re seeing in bookings.
To understand how these trends in international travel to Central Florida impact our local economy, Hank Fishkind, president of Fishkind Consulting in Orlando joins Engage. He has decades of experience in economic analysis and forecasting as an economist. He discusses the impact of international visitors and the ripple effects of policy changes and global conditions.
Preserving Black Cemeteries
Strings of Black cemeteries across Florida are maintained by volunteer community members. They dedicate their time to preserving the memory and physical resting place for those sometimes forgotten. One of these efforts is underway in Oak Hill in Volusia County. That’s where work is underway to find unmarked graves. Central Florida Public Media’s Luis-Alfredo Garcia joins Engage to discuss efforts to preserve the history before Florida’s elements and future development take over.
Examining the Intersection of Diet and Mental Health
Chef Syerra Donaldson brings purpose and passion to the table. The Maitland resident competed as Chef Sy on the Food Network. She describes the kitchen as her sanctuary while growing up in a household shaped by trauma and substance abuse. What started as a survival skill has evolved into something that helps others heal too. In addition to being a caterer and founder of Easy Cookin With Sy, Donaldson is a mental health therapist who does cooking classes and therapy infused events. Her doctoral dissertation explores culturally grounded food practices and their impact on mental health disparities in Black communities. One day, she would like to open a wellness center in Orlando. She joins Engage to discuss transforming people’s relationship with food and with themselves.
