Mitch Perry
Britain is the No. 2 source market for international visitors to Florida, which is why Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine says the effects from last week’s “Brexit” vote will leave its mark on the Sunshine State. Several economists say the U.S. economy will likely take a modest hit from the U.K.’s vote last week to leave the European Union, but how it will impact Florida remains unknown, a week after the stunning decision is still being digested around the globe.
“We do a tremendous amount of pre- and post-cruise business in Miami-Dade, so does Orlando, so I think overall there’s a deep concern here that the impact of ‘Brexit’ could be pretty, pretty negative to our tourism industry here in Florida,” said Levine in a conference call organized by the Hillary Clinton campaign Thursday.
The mayor, who made tens of millions of dollars in the cruise ship industry before entering politics in 2013, said Brits are much less likely to travel here with the pound losing its value compared to the dollar. “Brexit is going to create a long period of uncertainty and concern,” he added.
In 2015, the state saw 1.72 million tourists from the United Kingdom, a 5 percent growth from the previous year, Visit Florida records show. Pinellas County tourism officials say that 660,000 visitors from the U.K. stayed in Pinellas in 2015.
Hillsborough County officials say the U.K. has long been one of Tampa Bay’s most important sources of international visitation.
“We spent a lot of time at the IPW travel trade show in New Orleans this week talking to our partners, airlines and tour operators in the U.K. market discussing the potential changes for the EU and travel,” said Santiago Corrada, president and chief executive officer of Visit Tampa Bay. “Citizens of the U.K. love Florida and will continue to travel to their favorite destination. It will be two years at least before the U.K. leaves Europe, which provides plenty of time for any document or passport changes to take place. In the interim, this summer’s trips are already booked and paid for, and we expect that — after the financial markets adjust to the change — U.K. travelers will continue to find a fun, affordable destination here in Tampa Bay and the Gulf coast of Florida.”
Jacob Leibenluft, a senior policy adviser in the Hillary Clinton campaign, says the decision by UK voters to exit out of the EU “certainly has the ability to impact the U.S. economy and working families across the country and in Florida,” citing the more than $100 billion drop in American 401(k) accounts last Friday. However, U.S. stocks were rising for a straight third session Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average advancing more than 200 points as of 2 p.m Eastern Standard Time.
Levine was recently in London, and says talk about the implications of the “Brexit” vote is all everyone — from cabdrivers to business executives — are talking about.
“There are deep concerns,” he said. “There’s a general feeling of uncertainty and concern that seems to be going throughout the entire U.K. You feel it everywhere.”
More uncertainty came early Thursday when former London Mayor Boris Johnson, considered to be one of the leading candidates to succeed David Cameron as prime minister when he steps down in October, announced he would not run for leadership of the Conservative Party.
Levine said there are so many unanswered questions a week after “Brexit” that “it’s really an overall disruption to the world order,” and says with the pound losing value to the dollar, “we’re potentially going to see less visitors flying to Florida, visiting Florida, so it’s overall deep concern.”
The conference call was organized by the Clinton presidential campaign, meaning both men made sure to drop in some obligatory trash talk about Donald Trump’s economic policies and his overall candidacy.
