Florida Warms Up For 2009 Season

Despite early fears that UK sales for Florida holidays would suffer this year, early indications suggest that 2009 would is going to be a promising year for the sunshine state.

Late last year, officials at Visit Florida expressed their concerns as a weakening pound against the dollar warned of a slow year. Many expected that business would suffer early on and rely on a late booking market to pick up sales. However, with the pound and the Euro now effectively on equal terms, Florida now looks a more viable option to British tourists and sales over Christmas have reached similar levels to last year.

Colin Brodie, director for UK, Ireland and Scandinavia for Visit Florida believes the current exchange rate, which averages at £1 to $1.50, is at the same rate that it was two or three years ago  and that the US still offers better value than Europe, despite a recent dip,

"There are some positive vibes out there from the major tour operators that there are a lot of people shopping around and checking prices."

It has also been suggested that more competitive prices can be found as airlines and tour operators alike, pass on the benefits of a drop in fuel surcharges.