ORLANDO, Fla. — The Pulse attack is on the minds of visitors in Orlando’s tourism district.
More than 66 million people visited the region last year, but the mass shooting could impact the city’s reputation and tourist economy.
Several tourists on International Drive said the attack has made them think twice about visiting Orlando, but they decided to come anyway.
“We feel safe. The hotel is really good where we’re staying. The people were really friendly,” said visitor San Sajjan.
A handful of visitor said they didn’t let the attack change their plans.
“If we give in to terrorism, if we give in to incidents like this, then nobody will visit America,” said Bhopinder Sangah, who is visiting from the United Kingdom.
The group Visit Orlando said it’s carefully monitoring any potential changes in the numbers, but doesn’t believe the tragedy will hurt tourism or the city’s reputation.
“We have seen no significant indication at all that anybody is going to change their travel plans,” said George Aguel, president and CEO of the group.
Aguel said Orlando is more than a city; he said it’s a brand that has attracted repeat visitors for decades.
“We are monitoring almost every communication channel we had and all we could hear was we love you, we support you, we love going here, we’ve had wonderful memories of being there,” Aguel said.
Employees at one of the many gift shops on International Drive said business has been down slightly, but it’s unclear if it’s related to the attack.
They hope as summer vacations kick in, so will business.