The number of people putting Orlando on their bucket list of places to visit seems to be dropping.
New numbers show the Pulse Nightclub shooting, the shooting death of a singer from the “The Voice," a deadly alligator attack and the Zika virus are all impacting visitors.
- Theme parks in Orlando have seen a decline in visitors this summer
- A series of deadly events, plus the threat of Zika, is likely to blame
- Data shows between three and five percent decline
Overall, tourism numbers look good. Recently, Florida had the highest amount of visitors of any six months in the state’s history with 57.4 million calculated. From April to June there were 27.3 million visitors, up 3.1 percent from the year before.
But if you take a closer look at those who visit the theme parks in Orlando, there’s been a decline.
According to numbers from analysts at International Theme Park Services, for the second quarter, Seaworld attendance was down five percent. Attendance at the Disney theme parks was down 4 percent.
"All of these impacting issues that have hit Florida and Orlando this year have definitely had an impact," said ITPS president Dennis Spiegel. "Not a huge impact, but they've definitely had an impact. One or two of these items alone would not have that much of a negative impact, but I think when you package them and you put them in the crucible and mix them up, I think that's what we're seeing right now."
Last spring, ITPS predicted a three to five percent increase in attendance at Orlando’s Disney theme parks.
On the flip side, Spiegel says this is a great time for locals to visit the parks because discounts are being offered and they’re not as crowded.