Florida's first-quarter tourism numbers set record
Florida announced record tourism numbers for the first quarter of 2024, as totals for international visitors continue to move closer to pre-pandemic levels. The first-quarter numbers for this year were dominated by an estimated 37.187 million people traveling to Florida from other states, the most ever for a single quarter. An estimated 2.13 million overseas travelers and 1.284 million Canadian visitors also traveled to the state. More from the News Service of Florida.
Danish company opens U.S. headquarters in St. Pete to match customers and sales
A Danish drone technology firm has opened a U.S. headquarters in St. Petersburg. The move comes as the defense company wants to be closer to its customers and partnerships. The space is a sales office, but it will operate as the headquarters because of its client base and proximity to U.S. Special Operations Command, Chief Commercial Officer Morten Johansen said. More from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
JEA partnering with NextEra Energy Resources for solar facilities
JEA announced May 15 it finalized an agreement with a division of NextEra Energy Resources to develop three solar generation facilities. The sites will have a combined available output of 200 megawatts that could provide power for more than 37,000 households. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Calls to Orlando suicide, crisis lines spike amid economic strains
Central Florida has been deluged with calls from people considering suicide or facing other mental health crises in recent months, prompting social services leaders to sound the alarm. One source of the surge is coming from the financial pressures created by the high cost of housing, Central Florida experts said. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
What’s more expensive in Miami? Here’s how inflation has changed the cost of living
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article288528359.htmlSouth Florida has the highest inflation rate when compared to 13 of the largest U.S. metro areas. The Consumer Price Index for the region that includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach rose 4.5% during the 12-month period ending in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week. That exceeded the overall national increase of 3.4%. More from the Miami Herald.
Spring is in the air and so is Keeping Florida Beautiful
Spring cleaning isn’t just for dusting and decluttering in your home. It’s also for cleaning up and greening up in your community - and the local affiliates of Keep Florida Beautiful (KFB) invite you, your family, your neighbors and your business to get involved! Every spring, KFB local affiliates participate in the Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Great American Cleanup – the nation’s largest community improvement program taking place in thousands of communities across the US. [Sponsored report]
Business Beat - Week of May 17th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Florida Dining
Canadian vegan chain inks deal to expand into Florida
Odd Burger is continuing to grow its footprint in the United States. The Canadian vegan quick-serve chain has signed its second U.S. Area Representative Agreement for the development of 40 locations in Florida over the next eight years. The deal, signed with StarMatt Corporation, follows Odd Burger’s first agreement, which was signed last year to bring 20 locations to Washington state.
» Read more from Chain Store Age and Florida Trend.