In this week’s Economic Report on WUWF 88.1-FM, Dr. Rick Harper, vice president of research and economic opportunity at the University of West Florida, discusses what the spread of the Zika virus could mean to Florida tourism.
With a large number of Brazilian visitors and heavy trade with Puerto Rico, the state could stand to lose visitors based on perception alone.
“As you look at what’s happening now with preparation for the Summer Games in Brazil and the precautions that are being taken and statements in the press from athletes and potential fans that might want to travel, there is concern,” Harper said. “If you look here in Florida and the number of cases in the U.S., all of them have been associated with people who have been to countries that have Zika virus, particularly Puerto Rico and Brazil. But, it’s only a matter of time that those mosquito populations acquire the Zika virus.”
To read the complete report, click here.
