Governor DeSantis’s policies targeting the LGBTQ community, restricting academic freedom, and banning diversity programs have negatively impacted Florida’s economy. Several organizations have canceled conventions and events in Orlando due to concerns over DeSantis’s “anti-woke” agenda, resulting in an estimated $20 million loss in revenue for the state. Despite this, DeSantis’s spokesperson dismissed the economic impact as a “media-driven stunt.” However, boycotts in the past have caused enough economic pain to lead to policy changes, so organizations avoiding Florida are doing the right thing by not spending money there while these policies remain in place.
I wouldn’t go to Texas either. Fuck that noise.
I grew up here, have family here and have built a life here. It really is awful how much the state is being destroyed, so much has changed since 2016, it is unreal.
The propaganda has been incredibly effective here, and it is absolutely disheartening.
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His anti-“woke” message is prompting organizations and corporations to cancel conventions and other events that are an essential part of Florida’s vital hospitality economy.
The NAACP issued a travel advisory in May warning that the Sunshine State has come to be seen as “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals” under DeSantis.
Its statement was followed by similar warnings from the League of United Latin American Citizens and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, advising about extreme policies that travelers from some communities might view as hostile.
Tony Pals, spokesperson for the group, in an email to CNN, explained that the organization would not hold a conference or event in a state such as Florida that has enacted anti-trans laws.
As CNN reported Sunday, Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of the Visit Lauderdale tourism marketing agency, noted that 10 events and conventions were canceled by organizations “citing recently enacted laws, policies and travel advisories.”
The consequences for North Carolina meant millions in estimated lost revenue, especially after the 2017 NBA All-Star Game and NCAA championships were moved from the state.
Might I add that this month CDC issued a letter that leprosy may be endemic to Florida now.
And back in June there were cases of locally acquired Malaria. FYI, U.S. malaria cases are typically acquired from international travel.
I don’t have much hope with respect to Florida’s Public Health, with DeSantis appointing the state surgeon general Joseph Ladapo who has cherry picked science research to push an agenda, wholly ignoring what the research actually concluded.
Obvious consequence of alienating half the country.
I had planned a WDW vacation before COVID scuttled those plans. Now that it’s safe to travel again, I have no plans to visit Florida for any reason whatsoever for the foreseeable future. Still taking the family on that vacation; we’re just doing it in California instead.
I’ve honestly stopped eating oranges entirely.
Yea I’m not traveling to or spending any money in any of these fascist states if I can help it
I skipped the Agile2023 conference last month because they chose Florida for some reason.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/01/health/leprosy-central-florida/index.html
Central florida is now a hotbed for leprosy too.
Floridians losing money won’t matter to them, but Republican donors losing money will.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/07/desantis-loses-donors-woke-war/70461487007/
Oh they for sure care, just yesterday I was listening to a podcast and one of the ads was for Orlando. The theme of the ad? “Orlando is still great for gay people” They cited all kinds of statistics in an attempt to prove gay people should still visit and that it was a safe and fun place for them. They understand how critical those DINK tourists are, especially when you already have a lot of infrastructure and investment in attracting and serving them.
DeSantis doesn’t care, but I promise you that lots of conservatives on the ground will start caring when their business traffic starts to choke off. Conservatives retire to Florida, but I’d imagine liberals make up at least half of the tourists between spring break, nightlife/LGBTQ hotspots, and how “woke” Disney has become.
Florida’s current economic landscape is only possible due to tourism money, and once that reality becomes clear people are suddenly going to become far less concerned with non economic issues. Even the promise of tax cuts won’t work when entire industries see their revenues drop by meaningful %'s.
I’m from Kansas, I know what it looks like and feels like to live in a conservative economic death spiral. The reality is you have to let it start getting worse before people take it seriously and put a stop to it. Even the conservatives here voted out Brownback after he started gutting every maintenance, service, and school budget in a failed attempt to balance his tax cuts. All those people who treat politics as a game get real serious once it hurts them directly, but until then I’m not sure there’s an effective way to reach them.
And it’s not just the tourism industry that’s suffering, but construction and anything that requires freight shipping as well are already feeling the effects. There’s been videos for the past several months of completely empty job sites with half finished houses and condos because DeSantis has made it a crime to drive undocumented workers, who make up almost the entirety of the construction workforce. A vast number of freight truck drivers also said that they won’t deliver to Florida for similar reasons, though I don’t remember exactly what law caused them to refuse to go into the state.
As a Floridian, please don’t come. We make most of our money off of tourism, hospitality, and healthcare services. Go somewhere else, let this state die.
I’m sure Disney must be happy they let Ron win in 2022.
Disney decides political outcomes now?
DeSantis will forever be remembered as “that woke guy from Florida” lmao
He kinda attached himself to that word now. At least, that’s the only thing I remember form his campaign; “WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE”
DeSantis will forever be remembered as “that woke guy from Florida” lmao
He kinda attached himself to that word now. At least, that’s the only thing I remember form his campaign; “WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE”
I think of him as the dumbass fascist who declared war on an adjective. W said a lot of really dumb shit but he at least had the grammatical sense to declare war on a noun.
