TALLAHASSEE, FL, April 3, 2013 /CNW/ - Florida Governor Rick Scott has signed a bill repealing a law requiring an International Driving Permit for all foreign drivers visiting Florida.
Governor Scott said, "Florida is committed to being the number one tourist destination in the world, and signing this bill into law will ensure that our international visitors continue to come to Florida. Florida has had two consecutive years of record visitation to Florida, which has created thousands of jobs for Florida families."
Representatives from AAA-The Auto Club Group and the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) also joined Governor Scott in signing this bill into law.
"Effective immediately, Canadians in Florida can go back to doing what they have always been able to do - drive with peace of mind in the Sunshine State using their provincial driver's license," said Jeff Walker, CAA Vice President of Public Affairs. "CAA is pleased that the voices of its members and others were listened to by state officials, and that the state of Florida has removed any uncertainty."
Canada is the number one international market for Florida, with 2012 experiencing a 7.3% increase in visitors versus 2011, recording 3.6 million Canadian visitors. Underscoring the importance of this bill, preliminary data suggests that roughly 1,583,000 Canadians drove to the Sunshine State, representing 44% of all Canadian visitors.
About VISIT FLORIDA® As the Sunshine State's No. 1 industry, tourism was responsible for welcoming 89.3 million visitors to Florida in 2012, an increase of 2.3 percent over 2011. This represents a record year for visitation to Florida, exceeding the previous high of 87.3 million in 2011. The number of direct travel-related jobs in 2012 was also a record high, with 1,030,600 Floridians employed in the tourism industry. VISIT FLORIDA - the state's official tourism marketing corporation - generates more than $258 in tourism spending and $15 in new sales tax collections, paid by visitors, not residents. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves nearly 12,000 tourism industry businesses, including 2,700 invested Partners, 8,900 web affiliates and major strategic alliance partnerships with Disney Destinations, Dollar Rent A Car, The Hertz Corporation, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Universal Orlando. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, please go to www.VISITFLORIDA.com, www.VISITFLORIDA.org or follow our corporate blog at www.SunshineMatters.org
SOURCE: LMA
Maureen Wright
Tel.: 1-800-268-3791
Email: [email protected]
Share this article