interview - Italy-America Chamber of Commerce, Southeast

FOCUS
From Art Deco to Boutique
MIAMI’S EXPLOSION IN NUMBERS
BY WENDY KALLERGIS, PRESIDENT & CEO, GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES HOTEL ASSOCIATION
Years ago, Miami was primarily a holiday destination. Now it has become one of the top
three destinations to travel and live in the United States. There are always major events in
Miami that attract visitors 12 months a year. The year begins with the Art Deco Festival,
The International Boat Show, film festivals to include the Miami International Film Festival,
Brazilian Film Festival, Italian Film Festival, Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, South Beach Wine
and Food Festival, Miami Int’l Book Fair and ends with Art Basel, just to name a few.
Arts and culture have exploded in the last 10 - 15 years from the ACTOR’S Playhouse in
Coral Gables, the Bass Museum on Miami Beach, the Lyric Theatre in Overtown, Miami
Children’s Museum, to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami Dade
County. Hotels have embraced Miami’s arts and culture scene and have partnered with
many of the cultural organizations to provide a sense of community to their guests such
as events with Florida Grand Opera singers, local artist exhibitions in hotel lobbies, and
fundraising events to help some of our cultural organizations.
Greater Miami’s visitor population is as vast as its arts and culture offerings. According
to the Visitor Profile and Economic Impact Study prepared in May 2010 for the Greater
Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, “The majority of domestic visitors to Greater Miami
and the Beaches continue to come from the Northeast (more than 3 million visitors). The
Southern and Midwest regions provided Miami with 2.6 million visitors in 2009, while
the Western region continues to be a growing source, with nearly 538,000 visitors. The
majority of international visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches continue to originate
from Latin America. This region saw an increase in visitors in 2009 compared to 2008
Mentre anni fa Miami veniva riconosciuta
principalmente come meta turistica, oggi é diventata
una delle principali destinazioni non solo per viaggiare,
ma anche per vivere negli Stati Uniti. Durante
l’anno Miami offre una varietá di eventi culturali e
d’intrattenimento che attraggono sempre piú turisti;
dall’Art Deco Festival al Salone Nautico Internazionale;
ai diversi festival del cinema, tra i quali il Miami
International Film Festival, il Brazilian Film Festival,
l’Italian Film Festival ed il Gay and Lesbian Film Festival;
agli eventi culinari, quali il South Beach Wine and Food
Festival; e culturali, come il Miami Int’l Book Fair o Art
Basel, solo per nominarne alcuni.
L’arte e la cultura hanno acquisito un ruolo di grande
importanza a Miami soprattutto negli ultimi 10-15
anni; dall’ACTOR’S Playhouse a Coral Gables, al Bass
Museum a Miami Beach, il Lyric Theatre a Overtown,
il Miami Children’s Museum, e l’Adrianne Arsht Center
for the Performing Arts della Contea di Miami. Anche
gli hotel hanno accolto l’arte e la cultura a Miami
e collaborano con diverse organizzazioni culturali
per offrire ai propri ospiti un senso di appartenenza
attraverso, ad esempio, esibizioni di cantanti della
Florida Gran Opera, esposizioni di artisti locali nelle
lobby dei grandi alberghi ed eventi di raccolta fondi a
favore delle organizzazioni culturali.
Miami é in grado di offrire una grande varietá culturale
ed artistica all’altrettanto varia popolazione di turisti
che vengono a visitarla ogni anno. Come rilevato da
uno studio condotto dal Greater Miami Convetion &
Visitors Bureau nel Maggio 2010 sul profilo e l’impatto
economico dei turisti, “La maggior parte dei turisti
americani nell’area Greater Miami e delle spiagge
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