Last year was record-setting for Florida tourism, and some ripples have reached the Swamp.
More than 94.7 million visitors came to the state in 2013, a number that exceeded the previous high of 91.5 million in 2012, according to a press release from Gov. Rick Scott.
It was also a good year for tourism in Gainesville. The city isn’t usually regarded as a tourist hot spot beyond people traveling to UF, but John Pricher, the interim director of VisitGainesville, said that is starting to change.
Although it is hard to measure, Gainesville’s tourism is steadily growing, Pricher said. Last year Gainesville saw about 1.88 million visitors, compared with the 1.76 million in 2012 and 1.63 million in 2011.
The university is Gainesville’s “beach,” he said, because it draws people to the city and attracts national attention. But once people get here, they realize there’s more to do than visit campus.
“We’re not a beach, and we don’t have an amusement park,” he said. “We have to be creative in trying to find our other markets.”
VisitGainesville’s role is to expose as many people as possible to nature-based attractions in and around the city such as springs, state parks and nature trails.
Daniel Urban, a 21-year-old UF mechanical engineering junior, said he doesn’t feel like there are enough options for visitors.
“I feel like most of the tourism in Gainesville is focused on the partying scene and lacks options for those who want to spend their nights away from clubs,” Urban wrote in an email. “Areas like Paynes Prairie provide some alternatives, but there aren’t enough options overall, especially at night.”
However, UF’s Outdoor Adventure Recreation President Nelson Anderson wrote in an email that the city has an extensive park system with enough sites to keep anyone busy for an entire summer. He said the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie is one of his favorites.
“On a sunny day, the trail can look like Disney World it’s so crowded,” he said. “It’s a 3-mile hike, and you will see more alligators and birds than you’ve seen in your life if the weather is right.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 2/19/2014 under the headline "Gainesville reflects statewide tourism rise"]
