ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A recent study released by Visit Orlando highlights a significant milestone for Central Florida’s tourism industry, which generated a record-breaking $94.5 billion economic impact in 2024. The region welcomed 75.3 million visitors, fueling an industry that supports approximately 468,000 jobs, or 37% of all employment across the area.

Despite this robust growth, concerns remain about wages for those working in the tourism sector. Workers like Mark Bishop, a longtime driver serving tourists, report that their wages have not kept pace with the rising cost of living.

Bishop commented, “People at the top make all the money and the people at the bottom, you know, they take what they can get.”

Mike Meyers, a tourism worker with four decades of experience who started his

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