WTDC Newsletter
August 28, 2023
President’s Corner
The Florida Gulf Coast is preparing for Tropical Storm Idalia that may become a Hurricane when it makes landfall. Please be advised that even though this storm may affect Florida, WTDC is far from the projected impact. Like every hurricane season, we will prepare and keep an eye on the tropics. Hoping our friends on the West Coast of Florida are not greatly impacted.
Best Regards,
Sean Gazitua, President & CEO
Send a message to WTDC President and CEO Sean Gazitua
Water Donation for His House
His House Children’s Home is fully stocked with water in preparation for hurricane season! WTDC donated over 2600 gallons of bottled water and a water filtration system. Thank you to our employees, families, customers, and vendors for truly making an impact with your donations. Way to go Ginger Diez, WTDC Logistics Manager, on organizing this water drive!
Adrienne Cerra Simeon, His House Children’s Home Development and Marketing Manager, pictured below with Sean Gazitua, WTDC President and CEO, and Ginger Diez, WTDC Logistics Manager. Contact Adrienne for more ways to support His House, such as their Imagine Gala on October 7th at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami.
South Florida Cruise Industry on the rise
The Cruise industry is back and better than ever as passenger demand is higher than it was prior to the COVID-19 shutdown. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings reported record revenues of 2.2 billion in the second quarter, up 33% over the same period in 2019.
South Florida ports have felt the resurgence as Port Everglades’ number of passengers has increased 77% since 2022. PortMiami has already reached $100 million in cruise passenger revenue for the year.
Due to the high demand, Port Everglades is in the process of renovating a dedicated Disney Cruise terminal set to finish before the Winter Cruise season.
MIA on pace for record passengers in 2023
26.2 million passengers passed through Miami International Airport in the first 6 months of 2023, a 2.6% increase from the same period in 2022.
“On the heels of last year’s full recovery from the pandemic downturn,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava observed, “MIA continues to lead the way for our local tourism industry and the nation in terms of passenger growth and economic impact.”
Miami-Dade County to invest millions into PortMiami
Miami-Dade County is selling $499.2 million worth of bonds to support new projects and infrastructure changes at PortMiami. An expansion for Royal Caribbean will be funded by the County, which will include redeveloping cruise terminal G for parking improvements and a new building.
