Sunny Days

Old Man Winter, once again, has been kind to the Sunshine State.

So good that the state set records in several key tourism metrics in 2012. That's partially from a cold winter in the Northeast, Midwest and Canada, which drove more visitors to Florida, and in some cases, made them stay longer, say several tourism industry officials. The rebound in the economy is another factor in the surge.

“People are feeling a little more comfortable spending money again,” says Erin Duggan, communications director at Visit Sarasota County. “I think every area in the state is doing really well.”