Winter Haven, FL - The Florida Tourism Economy is being battered however some investors remain optimistic. Shuttered since November, Cypress Gardens located near other top Orlando attractions reopened March 28 with a former park veteran at the helm, attraction officials said. Bill Sims, introduced by owners Brian Philpot and Rob Harper as leader of the attraction’s new management team, said Florida’s first theme park will open in time for spring break. The announcement was made during a 10 a.m. news conference at the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce building downtown.
Sims is a former executive vice president of Cypress Gardens who worked with the founding Pope family from the early 1970s until 1985, when the park was sold for the first time. He also is the former chief executive officer and executive vice president of the Silver Springs attraction near Ocala, a former executive with Weekee Wachee Spring Hill and a former state tourism representative.
Orlando, FL - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that beginning Jan. 12, 2009, eligible citizens or nationals from all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to traveling to the United States under the VWP. The citizens or nationals of the following countries are currently eligible to travel to the United States under the VWP: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. DHS also formally announces the addition of seven allies to the list of countries authorized to participate in the VWP. The seven countries are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia.
