By Anna Hope Emerson ’16, Middle School Editor

Picture this: you are sitting in a beach chair, right by the side of a crystal blue pool, soaking up the warm sunlight. No distractions, no work, just relaxation. You are in one of the most beautiful vacation spots in the US: Florida.  34 Newark Academy Middle School students traveled to Florida this past spring break. These students, along with 75 million other people, add up to the average of people that travel to Florida every year. With its 1,200 miles of sandy beaches, more than 370,000 hotel rooms, and more than 1,250 golf courses (more than any other state), Florida happens to be one of the top travel destinations in the world. Claudia Hyman ’16 is one such NA Florida tourist. She has been going to Florida on vacation her whole life. “I love going to Florida because I love the heat and how low key everything is in Venice, FL, which is where my family always goes” she added, “People probably love going to Florida because they love the warmth and the fun and the beaches. There’s a lot of variety. Some places are crowded and busy and filled with exciting things to do whereas other places are more relaxed.”

Florida is also known for its campgrounds, with over 700 campgrounds statewide ranging from up North near the Chocatawhatch Bay  to the very tip of the Florida peninsula in the Everglades. Over 6 million people camp in Florida every year.

Tourism is now the world’s largest industry, and it is extremely beneficial to Florida’s economy. Billions of dollars from tourists benefit the state’s businesses every year. Tourism-related industries have also help create over 1.5 millions jobs for the state. Because of tourism, new jobs have been created such as running snack stands, working at amusement parks, working at hotels and resorts, and helping to maintain all of Florida’s many golf courses. Claudia said that when she’s in Florida,  she enjoys going to tourist attractions. “I think touristy attractions are fun!” she exclaimed.

As one can assume, the massive size of Florida tourism has a beneficial impact on the state’s economy: an impact of $57 billion. “When tourists go to Florida, they have to spend money in restaurants, hotels, airports, shopping, and with a number of tourists as massive as 75 million, I think it all really adds up and helps the economy”