Orange County leaders received an update this week from Visit Orlando, highlighting record-setting visitor numbers — along with a notable challenge from north of the border.
“Stranger Things” fans will get a chance to return to Hawkins, Indiana, at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights later this year. The “Stranger Things” haunted house will feature moments from the final season of the show, taking guests through locations in the battle to save Hawkins, like the Wheeler House, the MAC-Z military base, the Upside Down, and the Abyss, before a final confrontation with Vecna.
A man is facing charges after Orange County deputies say he exposed himself and acted lewdly in front of adults and children at a resort pool near SeaWorld Orlando during Memorial Day weekend. Investigators say hotel security and guests stopped the suspect from leaving before deputies arrived.
Seminole County is moving forward with plans to build a major indoor sports complex — a facility officials say could generate $2.4 billion in economic impact. News 6 has been following the project and how the county plans to pay for part of it with revenue from the new tourism improvement district fee. But at least one family-owned hotel says the assessment is costing them thousands of dollars a year — and they’re nowhere near where the facility will be built.
The Caribbean Princess departed Port Canaveral Monday afternoon just hours after docking following a norovirus outbreak that sickened more than 100 passengers and crew members. Experts say the recent outbreaks have not slowed consumer demand for cruises.
Amtrak train routes are running in and out of Florida again after large brush fires in the northeast part of the state forced their cancellation Monday.
Osceola County commissioners are set to vote on releasing the first $25 million in tourist tax funding for a state-of-the-art training facility at Osceola Heritage Park.
Businesses in Daytona Beach say they are feeling the economic hit after videos of last week’s unsanctioned Daytona Takeover event went viral. Airbnb hosts and hotels report questions and cancellations tied to the viral videos.
More federal immigration officers are making their way to U.S. airports after President Donald Trump said he’d deploy them to supplement the Transportation Security Administration during a government shutdown that has caused long lines at security checkpoints across the country.
Drivers across Central Florida are feeling the impact of rising gas prices following recent U.S. attacks on Iran.
The parent company of the “Sesame Street” franchise is suing SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, accusing them of “repeated, intentional breaches” of its current contract agreement, and “rogue retaliatory actions.” Sesame Workshop doesn’t just want money, though; it wants to end its nearly 50-year deal with SeaWorld altogether.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state welcomed a record-breaking 143.3 million visitors in 2025, according to preliminary data from Visit Florida, a slight increase from 2024.
Orange County commissioners voted Tuesday to approve new spending guidelines for Visit Orlando following an audit that raised concerns about how tourist tax dollars were used. It all stems from an audit that found the tourism agency had miscategorized some of its spending.
Florida law dictates how tourist tax dollars can be used, and lawmakers have been reticent to make changes. Right now tourist tax dollars can only be used for tourism promotion or on facilities and programs that benefit tourism.
At Showcase of Citrus in Clermont, ice-covered trees remain a rare and unsettling sight. Heavy winds combined with repeated freezing and thawing cycles created conditions farmers say they haven’t dealt with before.
Travel + Leisure Co., a company that runs several vacation club lines, including Worldmark by Wyndham and Margaritaville Vacation Club, celebrated the opening of its new global headquarters in downtown Orlando on Wednesday.
According to the director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting, this year's tourism tax revenue marked the highest annual collections for Orange County, largely due to the opening of Universal’s Epic Universe.
Harris Rosen Way now marks a section of International Drive, honoring a man whose name is synonymous with Central Florida.
Orlando International Airport is warning about changes and delays during an upcoming project to replace the trams that move travelers to some of its airline terminals. Work will begin on the airport’s $253 million Gate Link Replacement Project on Dec. 3.
Starting in December, Orlando International Airport will begin replacing the trams that move travelers to some of its airline terminals. That will affect people flying on airlines like Air Canada, Avelo Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, LATAM, Southwest, and Virgin Atlantic.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, the board voted unanimously to start discussions about transitioning away from using the Orlando Police Department and instead creating an in-house airport police department.
On the Disney Destiny, guests can relive the magic of two cherished 90s Disney animated classics with immersive entertainment experiences inspired by “The Lion King” and “Hercules”.
The ship’s Grand Hall, inspired by Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, serves as both a central gathering space and an entertainment hub.
The Destiny’s inaugural sailing departs Nov. 20, showcasing a Disney heroes and villains theme on four- and five-night Bahamas and Western Caribbean cruises.
The announcement was made at Tokyo’s Hotel New Otani, drawing executives from Disney, government officials, tourism leaders, and media.
Orlando International Airport will welcome Iberia to Terminal C, where it will begin nonstop flights between Orlando and Madrid. The Spanish flag carrier will run nonstop flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Greenwood Cemetery is Orlando’s oldest, established in 1880 by eight men with last names folks who have driven around Orlando will recognize, like Boone, Livingston, Delaney and Robinson.
Bats are landing on Volusia County’s popular Wings of the West mural trail this weekend, the latest installation for the Instagrammable art trail that started with angel wings in a Downtown DeLand alley.
A planned $560 million expansion of the Orange County Convention Center, scheduled to begin this month, faces a legal challenge from a developer who claims the county failed to meet a decades-old requirement intended to prevent precisely the kind of traffic congestion residents now decry.
Kissimmee's tourism industry, the largest employer in Osceola County, continues to play a vital role in supporting local families and businesses.
The Clermont citrus ranch is also asking the public to get in on the fun by inviting fans to drop their best name suggestions and guess the genders of the capybaras.
The county comptroller’s office says the county collected $25,649,100 in August in taxes from hotel rooms and other lodgings. That’s a 10.7% increase in revenue compared to August 2024, the strongest collections for any August on record, according to Comptroller Phil Diamond.
Arte Museum, the internationally acclaimed digital art exhibition created by Korean design firm d’strict, will open its first Florida location in 2027 on the new Universal Boulevard side of ICON Park, joining the Blue Man Group.
Walt Disney World has announced a star-studded list of celebrity narrators for the 2025 season of EPCOT’s “Candlelight Processional.”
The tourism group announced its “City Break” campaign, set to launch Sept. 15 and run through Nov. 15. The initiative will feature TikTok content creators highlighting attractions, nightlife, and dining options around Orlando.
Unveiled just ahead of the 2025 VMAs, the figure captures Gomez in the very gown that stole the show at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
The daytime event invites kids and families to dress up, explore, and enjoy a variety of festive activities designed especially for children.
The official tourism marketing corporation in Kissimmee is actively working to attract visitors from Canada to the many attractions of Central Florida, amid concerns over international tariffs and border tensions.
An audit conducted by Orange County shows that Visit Orlando spent money on items that did not promote tourism.
A piece of Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour has landed at the museum’s ICON Park location and, call it what you want, but fans would call it gorgeous.
Orlando’s culinary scene is blooming with Michelin accolades, celebrity chefs and trendy tastes. Starting Aug. 15, you can try many of the hottest restaurants in town for one price.
Bob Davis, a longtime leader of Volusia County’s hotel and tourism industry, died Sunday, according to social media posts by Volusia County leaders and the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
For the first time since its May grand opening, new numbers are spotlighting the economic surge Universal Epic Universe is fueling in Orange County.
Representatives with Visit Orlando provided their assessment of the state of the tourism industry Friday, noting that international travel appears to be lagging behind domestic travel.
More restrictions are now approved for short-term vacation rentals in what's already Florida's most expensive city to register and renew an AirBnb.
Kissimmee leaders are working to attract more visitors to the city through new initiatives and research-driven marketing strategies.
U.S. health officials have changed their advice to international travelers about measles, saying Americans should be vaccinated against the disease no matter where they travel in the world.
In addition to the grand opening of Epic Universe, Collect-A-Con was also happening just down the street at the Orange County Convention Center.
AAA is out with its 2025 Memorial Day weekend forecast, predicting another year with Orlando at the top of its list for domestic travel destinations.
The new land inside Universal’s Epic Universe draws heavily from the classic monster films Universal Studios made in the 1930s, particularly “Frankenstein,” “The Wolfman” and “Dracula.” Check out some of the tributes to the classic films inside Dark Universe.
Just in time for summer family trip planning, Great Wolf Lodge is teaming up with *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone and Lance Bass to launch its annual Summer Camp-In celebration.
Businesses in downtown Leesburg are preparing for a big weekend ahead of Bikefest 2025. The three-day festival kicks off on April 25 and runs through April 27.
A proposed amendment to the House tax package (HB 7033) would override existing statutes, enabling counties to access TDT funds for general use rather than strictly for tourism-related projects.
On Monday, Sen. Carlos Guillermo-Smith D-Orlando, revealed his tourism tax reform bill is now part of the state senate tax package.
Since the start of 2025, there have been 12 outbreaks on cruise ships, mostly caused by norovirus, according to CDC records. In 2024, there were 18 outbreaks, also mostly caused by norovirus.
Florida allows counties to collect a tax of up to 6% on hotel rooms and other short-term lodgings. The money must be used for tourism promotion and for facilities and programs that benefit the tourism industry.
In 2023, over 1.2 million Canadians visited Orlando, according to the tourism group Visit Orlando. There are concerns that impending tariffs could lead to an economic hit for the area.
Universal Orlando guests were welcomed home to a new planet on Tuesday as the destination adds another lodging option to its growing hotel portfolio
People have mixed feelings on this, but one thing that doesn’t change, you might need a backup if you can’t get a spot into the Wekiwa Springs this summer. Here are five of our favorite, lesser-known springs in the Central Florida area.
If you're planning to visit Wekiwa Springs State Park this summer, you may have visited the state's website and seen that regular day passes are fully booked from late May through August. But it turns out, there are open spots available within that window.
The universe is getting real. Check out newly-released photos of the completed worlds inside Epic Universe.
As Orange County continues to see record tourism tax revenues, Orlando lawmakers are looking to change how this money can be spent.
Universal Orlando announced this week it would put $2 million toward the cost of a crucial study needed to bring a planned SunRail line from Orlando International Airport to International Drive.
With three months until the opening of Universal Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Resort has announced the launch of new tickets and vacation packages for its eagerly-awaited fourth theme park, including tickets exclusively for Florida residents.
If you’ve ever found yourself anxiously waiting for your luggage at Orlando International Airport (MCO), you’re not alone. Frequent travelers have sometimes expressed frustration over the lengthy wait times at baggage claim. However, relief is on the horizon as the airport is set to undergo a multi-million dollar renovation aimed at streamlining the process.
It’s the year of Universal Epic Universe and just a few weeks into 2025, Universal Orlando is showing off its newest hotel that’s loosely tied into the storyline of its upcoming fourth theme park.
We may be looking at the final countdown for Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Orlando Resort. Documents filed by Universal with the South Florida Water Management District show the theme park wants to tear down the ride and replace it with something with virtually the same footprint.
The official travel period at Orlando International Airport started on Friday. Nearly three million people are expected to pass through the gates between now and Jan. 5, a one percent increase from last year’s record numbers.
Noisy visitors and the big parties they bring with them are the target of a proposed ordinance on vacation rentals in Melbourne Beach.
New numbers show tourists staying in Central Florida hotels brought in more than $359 million in taxes last fiscal year. That amount is expected to increase significantly next year.
Orlando International Airport’s older terminals are getting a refresh, and that includes new shops and restaurants.
If you've found yourself waiting a while to get an Uber or Lyft from Orlando International Airport (MCO), it might've been because of a traffic jam in one of the rideshare waiting parking lots at the airport.
From tourist tax dollars to a hiring spree, Epic Universe is expected to be an economic boon when it opens next year. Here's what Orange County can expect.
The Great Wolf Lodge had its grand opening on Thursday and a special guest was on hand, someone who has experience with grand celebrations.
Universal Orlando revealed new images of some of the animated figures that make up Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.
Greenwood Cemetery is Orlando’s oldest, established in 1880 by eight men with last names folks who have driven around Orlando will recognize, like Boone, Livingston, Delaney and Robinson.
