What the Government Shut Down Means For Florida Tourism
So now that it is official that the US Government has shut down, what does that really mean for you and your family when visiting Florida?
Well, some things will be affected but in general, you’ll not notice much of a difference if you are planning to visit our world famous theme parks. All will remain open including Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with admission including the newly opened Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, Shuttle Launch Experience,Angry Birds Space Encounter, Rocket Garden, twin 3D IMAX space films and so much more.
The bus tours onto Kennedy Space Center are affected however, and that means the Apollo/Saturn V Center and the special up close tours are currently suspended.
Getting to Florida maybe a concern but rest assured, Federal air traffic controllers remain on the job and airport screeners will still keep funneling passengers through security checkpoints. Also, the State Department will continue processing foreign applications for visas since fees are collected to finance those services.
One of the biggest things that will be affected though will be the State Parks. It’s not just Florida that will suffer as all national parks will now be closed, as will the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in Washington. Visitors using overnight campgrounds or other park facilities will now be given 48 hours to make alternate arrangements and leave the park. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Alcatraz Island near San Francisco and the Washington Monument will now all close as staffing will be held to “the very minimum to perform essential functions,” according to the Department of the Interior. This effectively means that most of its 70,000 employees will now be furloughed.
South Florida is arguably the worst hit in Florida as the fishing and Everglades touring businesses are among those affected by the government shutdown. There will be airboat tours and other tourism related businesses along Tamiami Trail, but Everglades National Park, Key Biscayne National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park in the Keys and the other eight National Parks in the State are now closed.
So, essentially that means there is less to do elsewhere and while tourism will be affected in those areas, Central Florida will hardly notice the difference. Walt Disney World, Sea World Orlando, Busch Gardens and Universal Orlando all remain open as do all of the other smaller tourist attractions.
The Sunshine State has a diverse tourism industry and for those that don’t want to lie on the beach all day, there’s still much to see and much to do. There’s really no reason to delay your trip!
